…Although we’ve comeTo the end of the roadStill I can’t let goIt’s unnatural…
I don’t know why this Boyz II Men song popped up in my head, but there are times a player comes to that realization that he needs to sort out his future. Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a name synonymous to longevity at Arsenal, but he will go down as one of those Hale End Academy lads that failed to reach the heights expected of him in his time at the Club. Maitland-Niles joined Arsenal at the meek age of six, and worked his way through the Youth Teams before making his debut for the club in the 2014/15 season Champions League, as a substitute for Aaron Ramsey in the 4-1 win over Galatasaray. Four days later, he made his Premier League debut, coming on a sub for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the resounding win over Newcastle.
With the young lad not ready for the big time, Arsenal sent him to Ipswich Town on loan, where he put up some outstanding performances, winning the September Player of the Month award in the club, and earning plaudits from his manager, Mick McCarthy. Maitland-Niles even managed to score his first professional goal in the victory over Bolton Wanderers.
Maitland-Niles in Ipswich colors
After notching up 30 appearances and scoring two goals for Ipswich that campaign, Maitland-Niles returned to Arsenal with the hope of getting more first team action but the games were hard to come by under Arsene Wenger. When Unai Emery joined the club, he started deploying Maitland-Niles as a left back, but he suffered a broken leg that saw him miss out for a considerable chunk of that campaign. With Hector Bellerin suffered that long term knee injury against Chelsea, Emery shunted Maitland-Niles to right back and he became an ever-present in the team, and even when Bellerin returned to full fitness, Emery favored the Englishman.
Following Emery’s acrimonious exit, Mikel Arteta took over the reins and Maitland-Niles still continued to feature for Arteta, starting in the FA Cup final win over Chelsea in 2020. With the acquisition of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Maitland-Niles minutes reduced and he started agitating for moves elsewhere, especially after falling out with Arteta when he stated that he wanted to play as a central midfielder, as opposed to the full back positions he had been utilized on. Loan moves to West Brom, AS Roma and Southampton came in quick succession, but Maitland-Niles failed to impress the spells, which was further buttressed by Jose Mourinho during his stint with Roma,
“He (Maitland-Niles) hasn’t impacted a lot. Maybe he hasn’t settled in yet. He is having a hard time grasping the type of football in Italy.
“English football is quite different. If you join a team that is not in good condition, it’s not easy to fit in.
There are players who have come to complete a staff. They (AMN and Sergio Olivera) aren’t ones who make the difference.”
Some would look at Maitland-Niles decision to seek loan moves as a step in the wrong direction, especially in those moments when Thomas Partey and Mo Elneny departed for the African Cup of Nations, and Granit Xhaka had some suspension issues, leaving Arteta to work with Albert Sambi Lokonga as the only available option in the center of the park. However, Maitland-Niles’ future was always in doubt, and we hoped that the latest loan move to Southampton would do some wonders to his confidence.
He hasn’t featured consistently for the Saints this campaign and with the club failing to activate the option to buy clause, Maitland-Niles has confirmed that he needs to sort out his future, and it will not be at Arsenal,
“It’s been a great journey but it has come to an end now (at Arsenal).
“It’s time for a fresh start and to find a new home. I’m looking forward to that but, at the same time, my head’s not quite there yet and it’s all about what’s happening now with Southampton.
“I’m just fully focused on trying to help us stay up and stay positive on a day-to-day basis and win games. When the time gets closer towards the end of the season, I’ll have something else to think about. But right now, I’m just focused on football and the task at hand.
“Southampton is a great club to be at and progress and get some minutes under my belt. Of course, if they were to make an offer, I’ll be more than happy to stay.”
Maitland-Niles is not a world beater, but he’s a hard worker. He’s also a utility team player, featuring in many positions which can make me a valuable asset for any club seeking his services. At 25, he’s also very young and any club looking to get him wouldn’t have to pay big bucks as well.
I wish him the very best and thank him for the 132 appearances he notched up for the Red and White.
Sayonara.
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