How has it gone so wrong for Maitland-Niles at Arsenal?

Nicholas Hughes

• 27 Dec 2021 08:50 GMT
• 5 min read

Ainsley Maitland-Niles has had a tumultuous last couple of years at Arsenal, and it could be set to finally end for him with a move to Roma reportedly imminent.

ESPN and The Athletic initially reported that the Serie A outfit had registered interest in a loan-to-buy transfer for the 24-year-old, and it has since been suggested that the permanent fee could be around €10 million.

It completes a rather stunning fall from grace for Maitland-Niles, who at one point was one of Arsenal’s great young hopes alongside Bukayo Saka.

He played a key role in Arsenal’s FA Cup success in 2020, predominantly operating in a left wing-back role, and his form earned him an England debut in September that year.

Maitland-Niles has gone on to play five times in total for the Three Lions but has curiously fallen well out of favour with Mikel Arteta at the Emirates.

Last season he made just five Premier League starts and six substitute appearances before being shipped on loan to West Bromwich Albion, and after a transfer saga in the summer his fortunes have been even worse this season.

After being heavily linked with a move to Wolves and reportedly asking to leave before the season, Maitland-Niles ended up staying and has only started twice in the league, with an additional six games off the bench.

It’s strange how it has managed to go south so quickly for Maitland-Niles at Arsenal, given the promise he was showing at both club and international level.

His versatility is always a positive for any manager and he has pace, skill and strength aplenty, but the one thing he has perhaps lacked is contributions statistically.

Maitland-Niles failed to kick on at Arsenal and has paid the price

Since the 2017/18 season, he has played 70 times in the Premier League for Arsenal and has managed just one goal and three assists, playing in either that wing-back position or in midfield, both centrally and on the wing.

As Arsenal has strived to get better, new players have been brought in to push Maitland-Niles further down the chain, and the change of system has not helped him either.

Arteta transitioned from a back three to a four-at-the-back system, meaning Maitland-Niles’ wing-back position no longer existed and he has had a host of players ahead of him in the pecking order for the attacking midfield positions.

Add to that the rise of Emile Smith-Rowe and the signing of Martin Odegaard, and there is simply nowhere for Maitland-Niles to fit at Arsenal, and a fresh start in the Italian capital could do his career a great load of good.

He will follow a number of compatriots in seeking moves across the continent, with Italy emerging as a particularly popular destination recently with Tammy Abraham also at Roma and Fikayo Tomori developing well at Milan.