When the summer transfer window opens, Ainsley Maitland-Niles could be on his way out at Arsenal, according to reports in The Athletic.
The young midfielder who also plays as a full-back has fallen out of contention with current manager Mikel Arteta and is expected to leave. The 22-year-old was a regular during the reign of Unai Emery but has not been playing much under Arteta.
The report further states that one of the reasons for his falling out with the manager is that he has shown up late for training on a couple of occasions and this has not gone down well with the boss.
Daily Star further claims that one of the clubs that are interested in signing him is Italian giants AC Milan. Milan want a new presence for their right-back position as they are looking for a player to replace Davide Calabria and Andrea Conti
And Maitland-Niles who normally plays as a right-back finds himself in a position where there is a lot of competition. Players such as Hector Bellerin and Cedric Soares are specialists who play on the right-hand side of the defense and they also have Calum Chambers who can deputize there as well.
Due to the number of options that Arteta has, we could be seeing the departure of one of these players and given that Maitland-Niles hasn’t played much since January, he could be the one to be shown the door.
The good news for the North Londoners is that the player is under contract until 2023 which means that they can charge a huge fee for him. Whatever happens with the future of Maitland-Niles, it is important to find a solution as quickly as possible.
By doing this, Arteta can prevent any disharmony from happening in the team. And it is better for the future of the player if he goes to a club that wants to play him on a consistent basis.
While it would be a loss to see him leave, the manager must have players that he completely believes in and that they can contribute.
