Everton are already planning to buy Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Premier League rivals Arsenal in the January transfer window after failing with a summer loan bid, as reported by ESPN.
When quizzed about the future of the seldom-seen England international in his pre-game press conference – not to mention that Instagram post – Gunners boss Mikel Arteta insisted Maitland-Niles still has a part to play at the Emirates.
“I am happy he has stayed,” Arteta told the Express. “It was our intention and he’s another player in the squad.”
Maitland-Niles, however, has no interest in being just “another player in the squad”. He wants to start games week in, week out – in his favoured central midfield role no less.
And Everton could offer the want-away 24-year-old exactly that.
Rafa Benitez wants the Toffees to play a more direct, dynamic style of football this season and Maitland-Niles, who impressed as an energetic, box-to-box player during a loan spell at West Bromwich Albion last season, should fit in nicely alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure.
“I thought Maitland-Niles was fantastic in that midfield role, I really like him in there,” Arsenal legend Martin Keown said after ‘AMN’ shone in a rare outing in his preferred position last season.
“I think he’s tremendous, I really like him. He’s got energy and he’s calm on the ball. He was full of confidence.”
Would Arsenal let Maitland-Niles join Everton?
Maitland-Niles has only played 19 minutes of football during Arsenal’s miserable start to the new Premier League season, falling behind new £17 million signing Albert Sambi Lokonga.
His prospects received another blow when Mo Elneny saw a move to Turkish side Galatasaray fall through earlier this week.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal, having rejected a temporary bid from Everton for Maitland-Niles late in the summer, would be willing to sell that very same player to that very same club in four months’ time.
Much will depend on how much the Toffees are willing to offer, and how often Maitland-Niles features before the turn of the year.
If he’s denied a move once more, Maitland-Niles’ social media posts could make interesting reading.
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