Ainsley Maitland-Niles could be on his way to Brighton and Hove Albion this summer, with the Standard reporting that the youngster is open to leaving Arsenal.
The 22-year-old North London native should be living the dream right now, playing regular first-team football for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
But, as Maitland-Niles himself has made clear on numerous occasions, he is not exactly relishing his role as Arsenal’s Mr Versatile.
The England U21 international, who joined the Gunners at the age of just six, has made 23 of his 31 appearances this season on the right-hand side, filling in during Hector Bellerin’s spell on the sidelines.
And, in Saturday’s heroic FA Cup semi-final victory against Manchester City, he showed his worth on the other flank too with an impressive performance in an unfamiliar left-wing back role.
Yet Maitland-Niles has no interest in going down the Phil Jones route.
It seems he is worried that failing to nail down one particular position will harm his long-term development. He wants to play in central midfield and, if Mikel Arteta cannot guarantee him that, he will pack his bags and look elsewhere.
The Standard reports that Brighton are interested with Maitland-Niles giving serious consideration to leaving Arsenal after 16 years.
Graham Potter is one of the most forward-thinking, adaptable coaches in the Premier League and Maitland-Niles, with his impressive technical ability and boundless energy, could fill in nicely at the heart of the Seagulls’ engine room.
Brighton might represent a step backwards on paper. But perhaps a somewhat smaller pond is exactly the habitat Maitland-Niles needs.
“We have discussed the things in my opinion he can improve or adapt to his game because he has incredible quality,” Arteta said last week.
“He has every quality you need to be a football player to play the highest level and he just needs to do it in a more consistent way.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
