Everyone has been calling for Arsenal to buy a new right-back all season after Stephan Lichtsteiner failed to live up to expectations and then Hector Bellerin was cruelly injured, leaving the Gunners with no confirmed right-back left in the squad. But Emery then turned to Arsene Wenger’s Mr Versatile and made Ainsley Maitland-Niles into a definitive right-back whereas before he was just considered to be a makeshift solution.
The youngster has really grown into the role, and it seems like he has accepted this as his main position and is fully expecting to keep competing for the role when Bellerin returns from injury early next season. “I’m still adapting to [the position] but the manager and coaching staff are helping me a lot at the moment,” Maitland-Niles told Football London.
“My best qualities are going forward, creating. I’ve spoken to the manager and he seems to think the same as me.
“When Hector comes back maybe it’ll be a good challenge for me and him.
“It all depends on how he comes back. Hector is a fantastic player and I wouldn’t want to force anybody out of the team, it’s more about healthy competition with him.”
The 19 year-old has been extremely impressive lately and I can’t see him being left out of the side now, but Bellerin himself was doing very well before his injury as well. But which would you choose if they were both fit and well right now?
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