James McNicholas of The Athletic has been discussing the future of Ainsley Maitland-Niles on a recent episode of the Arsecast Extra.
Last week, David Ornstein reported that the 22-year-old has ‘come to the conclusion that the writing is on the wall for his career at Arsenal’ and that ‘in order to achieve regular first-team game time, he must leave the Emirates Stadium’.
It has also been suggested in recent days that the Englishman has changed his agent, prompting questions over his immediate future (via Arseblog).
Maitland-Niles started in the left-wing back position for the Gunners during their impressive FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City at the weekend and earned himself a performance rating of 7.34/10 (via WhoScored.com).
When discussing whether or not his recent display and the fact he was handed a start in the semi-final could mean he will stay at the club, speaking to Andrew Mangan, McNicholas said: “I think there’s every chance Maitland-Niles still leaves in the summer. He has taken certain steps in terms of changing his representation which suggest that is absolutely what he has been minded to do. If you look at some of the stories that have come out, those don’t come out by accident, generally, in football.”
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The player has made 19 appearances in the Premier League this season and has provided his teammates with two assists to date. According to WhoScored.com, his average performance rating in the English top-flight stands at 6.63/10. The young footballer was recently quoted by the Telegraph as saying he prefers to play in central midfield but that he is willing to fill in as a full-back for the team when needed.
Most of his appearances this season have come at right-back and although McNicholas didn’t go into specifics with regards to why the player may be keen to move away, it would be understandable if his role in the squad, combined with the fact he wishes to play more regular football, leads to Maitland-Niles seeking an exit this summer.