Maitland-Niles wants to leave Arsenal

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has decided to leave Arsenal, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.

Having come through the ranks at the Arsenal Academy, the 22-year-old was originally shaped for a role on an attacking flank. However, his senior career has mostly seen him deployed at right-back due to numerous injury absences of Hector Bellerin and the lack of proper cover for the Spaniard for a long time.

Maitland-Niles has now completely lost his place in the starting line-up, and coach Mikel Arteta doesn’t seem to regard him as a regular option even when wringing some changes to his starting XI. That prompted the youngster to reconsider his future with the club and he has reached a conclusion that his development would best be served elsewhere.

He is under contract until 2023, which means Arsenal would be demanding a fee for his services, though it remains to be seen how much. Apparently, there is interest coming from England and Germany.