Arsenal star tipped to push for a January move because of limited playing time

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been tipped to ask Arsenal to loan him out again or sell him in the January transfer window.

The England international wanted to leave the club in the summer, but Mikel Arteta forced him to stay and convinced him he is in his plans.

Maitland-Niles has still been unable to stake a claim for a regular first-team spot at the club and TalkSport says he could ask to leave the Emirates when the transfer window reopens.

He spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom and was a regular for the Baggies before they got relegated from the Premier League.

He was the subject of interest from Everton in the last transfer window, but Arsenal turned down the Toffees’ offer.

They could return for him as they are yet to get a proper backup for Seamus Coleman.

However, Maitland-Niles will face an uphill battle in convincing Arsenal to allow him to leave the club.

This is because the Gunners will lose Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey to their countries for the African Cup of Nations in January.

Their absence will leave a huge void in the Arsenal squad and Maitland-Niles is one good option that Arteta has for that position.

Tags Ainsley Maitland-Niles

16 Comments

  1. We should just drag it out further so his value can drop even more while promising him that he’s part of the plans at AFC.

  2. I think at Everton they want him to play RB but AMN wants to play midfield. The other thing is we have no European football and winning PL matches is paramount and Partey, Xhaka and ASL have locked down the 2 regular central midfield spots. The only thing is when Partey goes to AFCON and the league and FA cup games where AMN gets his chances. He hast to be patient.

  3. I reckon fully 50% of PL signings for a multitude of reasons end up being bad signings. Niles is typical of so many young burgeoning super stars. A break out season as a teenager at Ipswich then a stellar season replacing an injured Bellerin under Unai. Clubs were lining up and offering big money for him. The next 2 seasons the club tried desperarely to get rid of him yet when a big offer came they forbade him to leave!!! So like Hein Torreira Bellerin Guendouzie Nketiah Mavropanos Mari Cedric Nelson until the weak market recovers Niles remains in stand off transfer purgatory.
    Lets hope in a couple of years time we are not having this same conversation about Saliba ESR Saka or Martinelli.

  4. Should have taken the money when there was a supposed interest from Wolves a anout 12 months back.
    AMN is an average player in my opinion. Not a specialist in any area. Poor defensively, can’t pass, poor in midfield etc.

    Just get as much you can for him if another opportunity presents itself.

  5. Of all the gamrs that Maitland-Niles has played for Arsenal, if we make a comparison between him and Xhaka. We’ll find that Maitland-Niles is doing far much better than Xhaka. But Xhaka is untouchable, he’s the darling of Arsenal. Xhaka and Pepe are the players who should leave Arsenal, not Maitland-Niles

    1. @Koma
      RealTalk there Gooner. Folks get myopic in their bias for or against a player. But AMN has always put in a decent shift in whatever position he’s been deputised to play in…
      And many on here who question his defensive skills, he has the best recovery time than any of our players…

      1. @NY_Gunner.

        ” AMN has always put in a decent shift ” – not so for me.

        If you have actually followed this players career, it has at been at best patchy.

        Now the counter argument is “he hasn’t been given the chance at our place” – what by THREE consecutive first team managers ???

        I would say quite the opposite to your statement above.

        When Ainsley HAS been selected, he has underwhelmed – the most recent example being the Wimbledon Carbou cup tie where he was considered (and I quote) the least impressive of the changes made that night.

        This is precisely why he remains a bit part player at our place – he’s simply not good enough and needs a move.

        Rather like Iwobi, I guarantee if AMN moves to a top half of the Prem club (Everton) – the bench will beckon a couple of months in.

        For me Ainsley has lived off being called into Artetas cup winning side due to injury and preforming only as one would expect from a plyer in Arsenals first team squad – but all of a sudden he was Cafu ????????

        Like a hole in one for a golfer – you can’t dine off one slice of your career for ever.

        Mikel doesn’t fancy Ainsley quite clear, best for all to move on.

        1. @AJ
          Wilshere is praised for his one good game against Barca to this day. Afterwards, he failed to produce that so called brilliant type of display. He lacked pace, held onto the ball for far too long and refused to track back constantly leaving his midfield partner in the lurch. Opposition would target him and run through him on the regular. Yet, he was routinely picked in the starting 11, played in the same AM position. This was long before his injury.
          AMN he as been used as a makeshift “whatever” depending on injuries. Never given a decent run in his preferred position. And I stand by my words, has always put in a decent enough shift when doing so. Name one player who has been used in such a manner…Now, he’s been pigeon holed to the right back position. One he doesn’t aspire to play in.

          1. Hi NY.

            In a milli-second Granit Xhaka played at left back when called upon last year, and did well enough without complaint.

            Then according to his manager, G X was key enough to move straight back into midfield when Tierney regained fitness.

            Let’s just pick one of my fav’s down the years.

            Lauren was signed when playing in midfield for Mallorca, but Wenger moved him to right back for us (under protest from Ralph) – how did that turn out ?

            Fast forward.

            Chambers – played at centre back or right back at our place, but at Fulham was deployed as a defensive midfield player and won 2018/19 POTS award over there. Have you heard him bleating about midfield at our place ? He knows there is no chance.

            Could go on forever.

            Shall we go back to the late 60’s/70’s for example when Peter Storey was a rock hard midfield enforcer , but could also play at full back if required (no winger fancied coming up against Storey I can tell you).

            Are you seriously suggesting that over the course of our history, Ainsley has been the only player to be asked to play out of position when “not liking it”.

            And why is he asked to fill in at R/B – because he is simply not good enough to NAIL a midfield slot !

            So as a manager I have a player who is not going to figure in my first 11, but I can use him at full back at a stretch.

            However, he constantly tells me he doesn’t want to play there, and I’m not overly convinced by him anyway.

            O.K (both for him and me) …….. bye.

            And not quite sure why the AMN – Wilshere debate ?

            Jack was handed the number 10 shirt when RVP left.

            Number 10 today -ESR.

            So sticking with your comparison through to a LOGICAL conclusion (as you seem to compare AMN directly with Wilshere positionally), you are playing AMN over ESR in our 10 shirt ………………………. do me a favour !

            In other words Wilshere was a 10 – Ainsley is definitely not !

            Michael Thomas –

            “Jack was amazing coming through the ranks at Arsenal, and could have been one of the world’s best”.

            Jack is now 29, and has been done for by a constant string of injuries.

            The two careers, and playing styles, are not comparable in my opinion.

            Oh and by the way, you simply highlight the 2011 “Barca game” for Jack when he was 19 years of age.

            A game that led to a certain pep Guardiola labelling Jack a “top player”.

            Funny that, although Jack was indeed outstanding in the at game most people would remember Norwich at home in 2013 .

            Santi into Giroud and Jack finishing one of the best team goals the Prem’ has seen.

            We agree to differ.

    2. Hi Koma.

      Simply not correct in my opinion, and also not in the opinion of Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery & Mikel Arteta.

      Xhaka 2016 to date – 225 appearances.

      * AMN – 2014 (1st team debut) to date 128 appearances.

      * On loan to Ipswich 2015 to prepare for integration into Arsenal 1st team. This has never happened to any great note.

      * On loan to WBA 2020 – basically “shop windowed”.

      I believe the pre-season injury to Partey (Chelsea) led to the club re-thinking and keeping AMN purely for cover in the short term.

      I could also look up the “Used as Substitute” figure for each player over the above appearance figures, but cant’ be bothered.

      One thing I do know, Ainsleys figure in that category will be substantially higher than Xhaka’s – why.

      As we all know (like it our not), Xhaka has been one of the FIRST names down on the team sheet week in week out by THREE consecutive managers.

      Also until the “Palace Brain Fart” Xhaka, held the captaincy and in fact has since.

      We will leave their respective international stat’s aside , as we are only concerned with Arsenal.

      Whether loathe or like Xhaka, to compare his Arsenal career to date with that of AMN is way off the mark in my opinion.

      We all have our opinions, and that is healthy for grown up debate, but I honestly can’t get my head around your comment and the logic behind it at all ?

  6. With Xhaka’s suspensions & injuries, Partey’s injuries, Elneny’s age, and Lokanga having just arrived, I reckon AMN is still needed as back-up in midfield, Watch though, next couple of transfer windows will be focused on midfield and attack, and then I reckon AMN + probably Elneny and eventually Xhaka will all go.

    1. Yossarian, It is clear that none of the three you list in your final senetence will be here much longer.
      Xhaka was almost gone and our club only had its so called “change of heart” when no club thought him worth any real transfer fee.
      AMN is hardly used and a back up squad player at best, as three managers have all agreed upon.

      Elneny is just hopeless in quality, albeit a big hearted tryer but way BELOW the level we need.

      None will be here next season, and correctly so too, in my considered opinion.

  7. @AJ
    I can see I hurt your feelings there Gooner by my mention of “golden boy”Jack. Your only defence of his weak play is to bring up the “team” goal against Norwich and a few compliments from that 1 Barca match…lol
    AMN is being used as a utility player and has been for a number of years. You might be able to dig up someone, somewhere in our history who has also been used as such, but nowhere in the modern game will you find it.
    He wanted to leave and had offers from other teams, but was kept on. So his performances must have been more than”patchy”, or he would have been sold by now…
    Logic…

    1. NY Gunner.

      Fair enough.

      You may have missed the quotes from Pep & Thomas though, which were very widely held at the time.

      And remember , you chose Jack as the “comparison” not me .

      Take care.

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