maitland-niles

Arsenal negotiating €10M+ departure despite limited cover

Arsenal are in talks with Roma over a deal to allow Ainsley Maitland-Niles to join Roma on loan with an option to buy.

The midfielder has started just two Premier League matches this term, and nobody could blame him for considering his options ahead of the winter window.

Arsenal should be able to guarantee him some playing time in the coming months however, with both Mo Elneny and Thomas Partey set to join up with their international sides for the AFCON tournament.

While allowing one of our midfield options to leave in January must seem a crazy thought considering our lack of strength in that role, latest reports seems to claim that we are negotiating with Roma to allow AMN to join them on loan with an option to buy.

If true, his departure will leave a hole in our squad which will need filling. It could be that we are looking at the transfer market to bring in a new CM, or one of our youngsters or loanees could well be set to get their chances.

While I believe many would be excited to hear that young Charlie Patino was deemed ready for the step-up, we should still need another option during the AFCON, although the manager could believe that Odegaard could play deeper, or Calum Chambers could potentially play in midfield as he has done previously.

Does it make any sense to allow AMN leave? Where do you think his most likely replacement would come from?

Patrick

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Tags Ainsley Maitland-Niles

21 Comments

  1. Brilliant idea.
    AMN never plays so is essentially stealing 45k p/w and so his leaving is no loss.
    He fills a quota slot no more no less.
    Without European football Niles like Holding Mari Chambers Cedric have become surplus to requirements. Playing for Roma would add signicant value to his asking price and at the very least give him valuable European experience.
    Make it so
    BTW. Take Kolasinac with him.
    Say hello to Mkhitarian and Smalling
    Just don’t mention the Xhaka deal 🙂

    1. Holding and Cedric are the first players to cover RB or CB, so they shouldn’t go without being replaced
      The disappointment with AMN is that he’s looked very good when given the chance this season, so it’s possible we’re throwing away a very good player for well below his value. In an ideal world, elneny would be going before him, and his wages are probably a bit higher, but that’s how it goes sometimes

    2. Do you know what’s brilliant Fairfan, when we could’ve got 20mil for him.

      Poor asset management by MA after promising him a role in the team lied and cost us cash.

      It’s a fact, whatever you say

    1. Just like he did with the players at Spurs and Man Utd? AMN could be an effective RWB ,but other than that position, he is very limited.He ought to have been moved on some time ago imo.

      1. @Grandad
        But he was more effective in midfield.
        MU and Spuds players, are all wannabe primadonnas.
        I see you didn’t mention the wonders he worked with Benfica, Porto, Inter and Chelsea players…

      1. Some fans even cried when we sold Willock. Where are those fans now?

        We seem to question every decision MA takes

  2. Good luck to AMN. It would be a mistake not to sign a replacement, realistically we’re probably looking at sanches or zakaria but I’d love us to make a big statement and knock at Leicester’s door for ndidi and offer £40-50M for him and then go activate Alexander Isak’s release clause at Real Sociedad, but I now I’m being greedy😜

  3. Quote:”Where would his replacement come from?”

    Why does the writer even think we need a replacement for a failed player who hardly ever plays and whom we do not want to stay.

    We DO need more top quality players in midfield, that is obvious, but we do NOT need a replacement for AMN.

  4. A very strange decision, anyone with half a brain can see letting AMN (whose last game for us was fantastic) go on loan when we lose two of our Midfield squad for the Afcon is ludicrous. The only reason for it is we MUST have an immediate replacement coming in. I wonder who?

      1. Watford Grandad, he and Lakonga were excellent in the absence of Partey and Xhaka. Probably the most dominant we have been in midfield or at least one of. He played really well but hasn’t had a look in since.

        1. I honestly missed that match, but I’ll take your word on his performance.I remember him playing really well in midfield at Old Trafford I think 3 seasons ago, and at that time I had high hopes for him.Sadly , for one reason or another, he has not kicked on .

          1. Giving him more game time than he has had may have helped. Since Watford for whatever reason he has been left to rot basically.

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