Ainsley Maitland-Niles has said that he will not play for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal again.
The midfielder has told The Athletic that he will leave Arsenal for good at the end of the season.
Maitland-Niles, who can also operate as a full-back, is on loan at Southampton from Arsenal at the moment.
The 25-year-old moved to the Saints on a loan deal from the Gunners in the summer of 2022.
The Englishman’s loan spell at Southampton will end in the summer of 2023.
According to The Athletic, Arsenal have decided not to trigger their one-year option in Maitland-Niles’s contract.
This means that Maitland-Niles will become a free agent at the end of the season.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles to leave Arsenal for good
Maitland-Niles told The Athletic: “It’s been a great journey but it has come to an end now (at Arsenal). It’s time for a fresh start and to find a new home. I’m looking forward to that but, at the same time, my head’s not quite there yet and it’s all about what’s happening now with Southampton.
“I’m just fully focused on trying to help us stay up and stay positive on a day-to-day basis and win games. When the time gets closer towards the end of the season, I’ll have something else to think about. But right now, I’m just focused on football and the task at hand.
“Southampton is a great club to be at and progress and get some minutes under my belt. Of course, if they were to make an offer, I’ll be more than happy to stay.”
HITC Verdict: No big surprise
In our view, that Ainsley Maitland-Niles will leave Arsenal at the end of the season for good is not a big surprise at all.
It was coming.
After all, that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta decided to send the 25-year-old out on loan for this season was an indication in itself.
If Arteta really rated Maitland-Niles highly, then he would have kept the 25-year-old in his squad.
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