Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles had agreed to join West Bromwich Albion on loan until the end of the season.
The Gunner is believed to have asked to leave the club in search of more regular playing time, having started just three Premier League matches in the last four months.
AMN is believed to be hoping that regular action will give him a chance of making the England squad for the European Championships, and rumour has it he is targeting a switch back to his favoured central midfield role.
Much of Maitland-Niles appearances have come at full-back or wing-back in his senior career, but it has always been claimed that he saw himself in midfield, and we could well get a closer look at him in the role for his new side.
The 23 year-old is reported by SkySports to have favoured a switch to Leicester City, but the club were reluctant to bolster a rival in their bid to qualify for European football, and the door opened to West Brom as Southampton later pulled out of the race also.
Could AMN return to Arsenal having shrugged off his defender tag? Do we expect he will return to North London to challenge for a first-team role next season?
Patrick
Wouldn’t it be the ultimate cruel irony if he joined WBA and they played him at full back?
Good luck AMN – go and pull up some trees!
Good luck to him. He’s got half a season to prove he’s a midfielder or content himself and dedicate himself to being an above average RB.
He’s one of my favourites but have to admit his attitude the last month hasn’t seemed great – the coolness seemed to give way to apathy. It’s a fine line.
Good luck, Ainsley!!
Wishing you the best.
Surely we got a loan fee? He’s a friggin national team player for Christ sake.
We the one who put nile on loan list
Its mybe just paying nile full salary by wb
All the best in your new adventure
At last, we will finally find out if AMN can make it as a midfielder in the EPL.I hope he does and proves our Manager and many fans wrong.Good luck for the rest of the season Ainslie.
All the best AMN! Just dont score penalties against us, lol.
Difficult for him to go to WBA, surrounded by a lack of quality, with Big Sam as a manager and still prove point.
Really hope he can star there! Very tough task ahead, i hope he is not judged too harshly if he doesn’t do well considering the overall situation
Goodluck AMN
Maitland-Niles has completed West Brom medical in London & will return to Arsenal to sign paperwork on loan until summer — no option to buy. Too late for Sheff Utd trip so debut should come on Sunday… at Tottenham (Ornstein)
We all wish him luck, naturally but the thinking ones among us can see that he has made a huge mistake choosing a club that will be constantly overwhelmed in midfield and will be certainly relegated.
He may WELL play in midfield at WBA but being THERE is not going to help him develop one bit. Quite the reverse and he has chosen unwisely,IMO. Were he wise he would haveaccepted less money andgone to Saints, wher he would have played and had a reaol chance to progress with a top manager. Preferring ALLARDYCE(yuck!( more wages in place of a better man in HASSENHUTTL and a progressive team was BECAUSE of wages it has been said.
Putting playing in a rotten team, plus more wages, ahead of playing in a better more progessive team but with lower wages will mean he will not come back to us permanently again. I firmly believe he has already played his final game in our shirt and given his clear lack of ambition to choose a sensible club over, frankly, a silly one, means we are better without him coming back.
Now aged 23, never having held down a regular place, means he will never now be a top player. Shame, but he was just a nearly man all along
I’d like to think the opportunity to play in midfield was a stronger pull than more wages (if it’s true he’s on more wages).
Have to admire him in that regard. Like grandad said above, it’s down to him to prove Arteta and many others wrong. Bissouma and Ingissa (spelling?) at at Fulham are examples of midfielders on struggling teams that can still prove their worth.
Foxy- where are you getting all this about the money? From the reports I have followed all day AMN turned down Southampton because he would have been used as either a FB or WB
( to explain those initials are Full Back & Wing Back). The player was insisting he played as a Cm (Central Midfielder). In my opinion he should be applauded for that.
Leicester was not considered by Arteta as he saw them as a rival, so with only WBA the player had no other options. Kindly explain where you feel you can rubbish this player when it’s reported it was Footballing reasons he had ended up on loan with West Brom z as no nothing to do with what you are suggesting.
Sounds like another headline grab your after. I would suggest Dan Kit checks this out Ha Ha
I saw it on another thread ,I couldn’t be arsed to tell him that he doesn’t get more money as he’s on a contract here and it’s a loan move.
I think he saw the agent bit and thought it had to do with money ,but if he would have done abit of research first he would have known his agent was looking out for him to try and get him to play in his favoured position which Southampton couldn’t give him .
No point replying to him anyway he will just carry on posting the same thing even when it’s pointed out to him a hundred times .
Yeah Dan- why would old Foxy allow the real facts to get in the way of what he feels is correct. Never has before and he is far too old and senile to start now
You’re a bit previous Patrick, it’s not done yet……..
I wish he’d gotten a proper chance at midfield here… He only went to fullback because of an injury and never got out of being used there again.
I’m a bit miffed by this one. The fella is more versatile than a Swiss army knife… I would even play him goal in front of Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson if the opportunity arose.
Now with hearing Willock could be joining NUFC on loan, don’t you think we are a bit light in midfield with Partey, Cebellaos and ESR injury history?🤔
Didnt even mention Martinelli and Willian… 😱
Willian might as well be injured as he brings nothing to the field🤬
Wow
Niles is just 23?
Seems to have been playing fora longer time..
Have faith in this guy.. Sure he would thrive, inside arsenal or outside.. Wishing him the best