Kevin Campbell has claimed that ‘nobody’ wants to sign players like Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as he told the Highbury Squad.
The 23-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at West Brom where he suffered relegation with the Midlands side.
Maitland-Niles, who was earning an England cap last year, endured a difficult time at the Hawthorns and he has now fallen down the pecking order at the Emirates.
Campbell made it clear that it’s not Mikel Artera’s fault that others teams don’t want to sign players like Maitland-Niles.
“The fact that we can’t shift players isn’t down to the manager,” said the Arsenal club legend. “The problem is that nobody wants them.
“It’s not up to the manager, it’s other teams have got to want them. Nobody wants them. Opposition teams have to want these players.
On nobody wanting to buy Maitland-Niles: “Well, not at the minute or else he would be gone.
“It’s not a matter of what Arsenal are doing, the other team have to want the player – That was a year ago (on Wolves wanting AMN). But we didn’t (sell him). That’s why we are not making the same mistake with Willock.”
It wasn’t so long ago that Maitland Niles would have been dreaming about making England’s Euro squad.
Not only did he miss out on that by a long distance, but he will also be questioning how much game time he will earn at Arsenal next season.
It just goes to show how harmful and defining a loan spell can be because Joe Willock couldn’t stop scoring goals at Newcastle and he is now preparing to move to St James’ Park for £20 million+.
Whilst Maitland-Niles would do well to earn another loan spell at a Premier League club next season.
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