Sam Allardyce told Sky Sports that Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles told him that ‘the only position he wants to play’ in is in the middle of the park.
The 23-year-old was on-loan at West Brom last season, when Allardyce was in charge, and he loaned him from Arsenal during the January transfer window.
Maitland-Niles played in the middle of the park throughout his tenure at the Hawthorns, as the Baggies were relegated.
Although, building up to transfer deadline day and on the day itself, interesting rumours started circulating about the player.
From Maitland-Niles coming out on Instagram and urging the club to let him leave to David Ornstein then sharing on Twitter that the Hale-End academy product has stated, from the start of the season, that he wants to ‘play solely as a full-back’.
In the end, AMN stayed at the Emirates, as Allardyce made this claim about the player, one hour before the transfer window slammed shut.
“The problem with Ainsley is his position,” said Allardyce. “His position, as everybody has alluded to is wrong. His position, and the only position that he wants to play, the number one position is central midfield. And he has always maintained that throughout his career, he tells me.
“He filled in as a fullback when asked to, and obviously played very well because he played at fullback for England. But his favourite position is central midfield, which he rarely got at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger or anybody else.
“The reason why he came to West Brom, which he forced through by the way, Edu and Arteta didn’t want him to come. It was the fact that I told him, ‘you will play in midfield in every game you feature in as long as you play well’.
“Based on what I have seen, yes (he can play in midfield for Arsenal). The problem for him is that there are a lot of younger players ahead of him, which is massively frustrating. I think he deserves an opportunity to play there.”
Whatever happens, Maitland-Niles needs to get his house in order because he is still an Arsenal player.
There have clearly been mixed messages sent from the player as to which position he wants to take up.
Mikel Arteta is already under pressure as it is and the last thing he needs is unnecessary pressure being put on his shoulders.
Given that Calum Chambers and Cedric Soares have played at right-back this season, and struggled, it will be interesting if AMN gets his shot after the international break.
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