Arsenal ‘inundated’ with offers for their man
According to 90Min, Arsenal have been inundated with offers for Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
The 24-year-old finally looks set to depart the Emirates Stadium after spending 18 years of his life at the red half of London.
Italian side Roma are pushing for a move for the versatile player, who can play as a full-back, wing-back and even as a midfielder.
Jose Mourinho is reportedly desperate to sign him and his club are willing to include an option or an obligation to buy the Englishman.
After rejecting an approach from Premier League fellows Everton, manager Mikel Arteta hasn’t shown much interest in fielding the Hale End graduate.
It has naturally frustrated the player, who now wants out of his boyhood club. Previously, Everton, Leicester City and Southampton have all thrown admiring glances at Maitland-Niles.
But it’s still unclear which clubs have approached the North London outfit this time around.
Regardless, the reports have continuously emerged that the Englishman’s preference is to join up with Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling, who have given an idea of what lies ahead of him at Rome.
If a decent offer arrives, I won’t lose any sleep if Maitland-Niles does depart North London. In the end he has struggled to establish himself as a first-team player.
But I just wonder how things could have been if Ainsley had not been stubborn and insisted to play as a central midfielder.
He could have developed fantastically as a full-back, especially as a right back. He had all the ingredients to become a top-class player on that side of the pitch.
But not everything you envisage comes true and thus I bid farewell to a top human being Maitland-Niles is. I wish him the best for his future endeavours.
And here is an extra treat for all you Dan Smith fans…
THE JUST ARSENAL SHOW – Dan Smith has a rant over Arteta and ‘Players Welfare”