The ongoing saga that is Ainsley Maitland-Niles comes to the end of another chapter as hhe has now confirmed that he is not being retained by Jose Mourinho’s Roma team.
Having failed to secure a place in Arsenal’s midfield and usually being played as a backup right-back, he tried a loan period at West Brom last season in midfield but that didn’t work out either. He returned to Arsenal but made it clear that he wanted to move on to get some game time, but Arteta turned him down, but let him go to Roma last January on a loan-to-buy option, where Jose Mourinho wanted him as a right-back.
But after starting only 8 games in Roma, but getting a winners medal in the Euro Conference League, it has now been confirmed by the player himself that Mourinho has decided against a permanent move and he will be coming back to the Emirates this summer.
But what next for Ainsley, as he still has a year left on his Arsenal contract?
If Arteta keeps him at Arsenal, I doubt he will progress past being a backup right-back, but I also can’t see him wanting to stay unless he can play.
It looks like this will be yet another player that will be sold off very cheaply if he can find a club that wants him.
It’s a shame, but after 8 years on Arsenal’s books, I think it is time to admit that it’s over….
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