AFC Bournemouth and Fulham have joined West Ham in the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who the Gunners are eager to offload in the final week of the summer transfer window.
According to the Express, the newly-promoted Premier League duo are interested in the England international as a late signing, with Bournemouth and Fulham keen to bolster their squads with a few more arrivals to ensure a strong start to the new season following their returns from the Championship.
As per the report, though, West Ham are also in the competition to land Maitland-Niles, with the Irons arguably the favourites to sign the 24-year-old given their status in the Premier League and their potential place in next season’s UEFA Europa Conference League, whilst Bournemouth and Fulham remain favourites to go down.
With the midfielder earning a reported £52,000-a-week, Maitland-Niles could be a pricey acquisition for many sides this summer with the Express stating that European clubs are also interested in the Arsenal player, though a move to a Premier League rival in West Ham or Fulham could be a realistic outcome for the Hale End graduate this summer.
Labelled by former England international Peter Crouch as a ‘tremendous’ player, Maitland-Niles has seen his career stall in the past two seasons after becoming a bit-part player for Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, with the versatile midfielder heading out on loan twice to the likes of West Bromwich Albion and AS Roma.
Indeed, a move must be arranged this summer, and with multiple Premier League sides now interested in Maitland-Niles, a transfer could be on the cards in the coming days with Arsenal eager to make a sale, and West Ham should consider themselves strong favourites to win the race.
West Ham should sign Maitland-Niles amid Bournemouth & Fulham interest
Maitland-Niles looks more likely than ever to leave Arsenal this summer, and with Bournemouth and Fulham in the race to sign the midfielder, competition is growing for the 24-year-old, yet for West Ham, the Hammers must ensure they’re the club to win the race for the England international.
After all, West Ham could do with depth in midfield as well as a versatile player who can plug in holes in domestic and European competitions, and Maitland-Niles fits that job to a tee, with Arsenal also likely to allow their academy graduate leave for cheap just to get him off their books.
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