Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, tactical analyst Adrian Clarke stated his belief that it would be better for both Arsenal and Ainsley Maitland-Niles if the player was to move away from the club this summer.
After graduating from the Arsenal youth setup, Maitland-Niles has gone on to feature 100 times for the Gunners, scoring three goals and providing five assists.
Last season, the versatile 22-year-old made 20 appearances in the Premier League for Arsenal, providing two assists and averaging a WhoScored match rating of 6.63 – ranking him as the club’s 18th-best performer.
However, despite featuring on plenty of occasions for the Gunners last season, it has been recently reported that Arsenal are willing to sell Maitland-Niles this summer as a way of raising money in order to make new signings over the transfer window.
Discussing the player’s future, Clarke claimed that a move away from the club would be a good move for both parties.
He said: “Hand on heart, I’ve not been hugely sold on Maitland-Niles over the last couple of seasons, because I’m not sure what his best position is. And if his best position is full-back, I think he’s got an awful lot of work to do still to become good enough to be first-choice full-back for Arsenal.
“So I’m conflicted here, because he was excellent in the cup final and the cup semi-final. But, hand on heart, I don’t know if he’s good enough to be a starter, long-term, in that position.
“I actually feel, for him, for the benefit of his career, it might be better to move on, even though [Mikel] Arteta clearly doesn’t really want to lose him for now.
“What’s interesting here is that there appears to be a clash between Arteta and the board. Arteta sees use in him, the board see pound signs, and there seems to be a bit of a stand-off, which isn’t healthy. I hope they come to a decision pretty quickly and that it doesn’t drag on and on.”
TIF Thoughts…
As such, it certainly appears from Clarke’s comments that, while he has been impressed with the £13.05 million-rated Maitland-Niles in patches at Arsenal, he feels that a move away from the club may actually benefit all involved.
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