According to Sky Sports Transfer Live blog (2:57pm, February 1, 2021), West Bromwich Albion are back in the race for Arsenal youngster Ainsley Maitland-Niles on transfer deadline day.
It has been reported that Maitland-Niles, who can play as a full-back and as a midfielder, held a meeting with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta as well as the club’s Technical Director Edu this lunchtime.
The meeting lasted for 20 minutes, according to the report, which has added that Arteta made it clear to the England international that they are still willing to let him leave on loan today, but are reluctant to send him to rivals Leicester.
Maitland-Niles does not want to join Southampton as they see him as cover at full-back, with West Brom now back in the race for the 23-year-old, according to the report.
Positive for West Bromwich Albion?
It seems that Arsenal want Southampton for Maitland-Niles, but the midfielder wants to move to Leicester.
West Brom could be the ‘compromise club’ in this transfer battle. The Baggies are in danger of going down to the Championship at the end of the season, and they could make use of a player of Maitland-Niles’s quality.
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