Ainsley Maitland-Niles plans to leave Arsenal on loan before Monday’s transfer deadline to boost his chances of featuring for Gareth Southgate’s England at the European Championships, as reported by The Mirror.
In the absence of the injured Kieran Tierney, the £35,000-a-week academy graduate was handed a rare start at left-back during Arsenal’s goalless Premier League draw with Crystal Palace recently.
And it was no coincidence that, after producing a performance well below the standards expected by the demanding Mikel Arteta, he was nowhere to be seen during the subsequent clash with Newcastle United, omitted from the match-day squad.
And given the way Cedric Soares has performed in the last two matches, following an assist against Newcastle with a superb display in Monday’s 3-1 win at Southampton, Maitland-Niles appears to have slipped further down the pecking order than ever.
He’s started just five league games in 2020/21.
According to The Mirror, the 23-year-old is so concerned about his lack of first-team opportunities he would consider leaving north London on loan before the window closes at 11pm on Monday.
Maitland-Niles made five appearances for the England national team in 2020 but is fully aware that, if he’s stuck on the bench between now and May, he’ll lose his seat on the plane ahead of the Euros.
There will surely be no shortage of clubs interested in taking a technically gifted, versatile operator who can perform effectively at left-back, right-back or in a range of midfield roles.
“Yeah it is a concern when there’s international football involved,” Arteta told Football London when asked about Maitland-Niles’ future.
“I understand Ainsley wants more minutes. What he needs to do is fight, train and tell his teammates and show us he can be one of our starters.”
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