What next for Ainsley Maitland-Niles at Arsenal?

What next for Ainsley Maitland-Niles at Arsenal?

By Peter White

It’s the beginning of February, which means it’s full steam ahead going into the second half of the season now another winter transfer window is done and dusted.  

While Arsenal welcomed Martin Odegaard and Mat Ryan into their first team ranks, much of their largely commended work centred around the departure of those surplus to requirements.  

The end of Mesut Ozil’s Arsenal career perhaps garnered the most media attention, but the temporary release of one of the team’s best-loved academy products poses a number of questions going forward.  

Still only 23, Ainsley Maitland-Niles made his Gunners bow in a Champions League win at Galatasaray way back in December 2014, and has so far accumulated 121 appearances in the famous red jersey.  

But, with this summer’s European Championships on the horizon, the versatile England international opted to join Sam Allardyce’s West Bromwich Albion on loan for the rest of the season on deadline day.  

Fellow youth products such as Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka have thrived during Mikel Arteta’s 13 months in charge at the Emirates, but Maitland-Niles has had limited opportunities in recent times, and particularly during Arsenal’s resurgence since the festive period.  

Indeed, the former Ipswich loanee made just three appearances - and two as a second-half substitute - during Arsenal’s seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, that started on Boxing Day and ended in controversial circumstances at the hands of Wolves on Tuesday night.  

Despite that shortcoming - which featured red cards for David Luiz and goalkeeper Bernd Leno - Arsenal have shown themselves to be real contenders for the European spots this season, while there now seems to be real hope they can return to former glories under Arteta sooner rather than later.  

With Maitland-Niles having become a bit-part player under Arteta and left for the Black Country this week, we consider whether he still has a future at Arsenal or if he should start his search for a new permanent home now.  

On his way?

While Maitland-Niles took the plunge and made his temporary switch this winter his departure from North London has been earmarked for some time, with Wolves among the clubs to have considered a move for him last summer.  

Arsenal’s intent to hold out for a fee in the region of £20m contributed to a breaking down of negotiations, but even still it was widely reported that Maitland-Niles had accepted his Arsenal career was over.  

Arteta’s use of a 4-2-3-1 formation this year has raised questions about where he is able to fit in at Arsenal, with the likes of Dani Ceballos, Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka ahead of him in the midfield ranks - supposedly his preferred position.  

Much of Maitland-Niles’ game time over recent months - for club and country - has seen him operate at wing-back, but Arsenal’s switch to the use of a back four has seemingly shut the door on that option.

  

Maitland-Niles’ last appearance in an Arsenal shirt saw him replace the absent Kieran Tierney in the conventional left-back slot against Crystal Palace, but he was the subject of damning Arteta criticism after being hauled off 65 minutes into the goalless contest.  

Arteta said: “He needs to compete for his place like everybody else. It's about him, his performances and how much he wants to be in the team.”  

Having been left out of Arsenal’s squad for their next league match against Newcastle, Maitland-Niles’ future at the club was questioned by former Gunners centre-half Martin Keown.  

Speaking on TalkSport, he said: “Without the wing-back system it doesn’t seem like there’s a place for him. Maybe Mikel Arteta doesn’t really believe in the player.”  

Without a clear place for him in the team and an apparent lack of trust from the manager, there doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of hope that Maitland-Niles can establish himself as a key man in the Arsenal XI, even with a strong spell at West Brom.  

Perhaps it would suit Maitland-Niles to apply his undoubted talent to a fresh start at another club for the long-term.  

Another chance to shine?

Though the subject of high demands from Arteta, Maitland-Niles completed 90 minutes in both of Arsenal’s FA Cup final and Community Shield successes in the summer, suggesting there is certainly an element of trust existing between the pair.  

Those performances helped convince England boss Gareth Southgate to hand Maitland-Niles his full international debut against Denmark in September, and he has since gone on to make five appearances for the Three Lions.  

If that wasn’t enough to sway any doubters of his ability, the fact that several Premier League clubs were in for his services during the transfer window - including high-flyers Leicester - shows how highly rated he is by those in the business.  

Maitland-Niles has the perfect chance to boost his reckoning at Arsenal at the start of his West Brom career, with his debut in Blue and White likely to be against Tottenham on Sunday.  

Finally, Arteta’s comments in the wake of Maitland-Niles’ move this week appeared to leave the door open for another chance at the Emirates, where he still has a contract running until 2023.  

Arteta said: “Ainsley is a very talented player, and we are proud of his hard work and development with us.  

“This decision to go on loan to West Bromwich Albion for the rest of this season is to support Ainsley and his growth further.”  

While we have seen Arteta ruthlessly bid farewell to the likes of Ozil and Matteo Guendouzi in recent months, perhaps this is the biggest sign yet that a productive spell in the Midlands could keep Maitland-Niles in the Spaniard’s plans.

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