According to the Daily Mail, newly promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest are interested in Arsenal defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has come up through the ranks at Arsenal but his career has never quite taken off at the club and he spent the second half of the previous season out on loan to AS Roma.
He’s failed to impress there as well which is why Jose Mourinho has chosen not to sign him on a permanent deal meaning he will be coming back to Arsenal and joining Mikel Arteta’s side for the pre-season camp.
🚨 Nottingham Forest want Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Exclusive from @JohnCrossMirror. pic.twitter.com/jjyVqwigOY
— Eduardo Hagn (@EduardoHagn) June 10, 2022
Should Arsenal sanction a sale for Ainsley Maitland-Niles?
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is primarily a central midfielder but he can play as a right-back as well as a right-wing back but he’s of no use to Arteta, in either of these positions.
Thomas Partey has settled into the midfield role in the previous year plus the Gunners are also trying to bring Youri Tielemans on board from Leicester City.
On the right-hand side of defence Tomiyasu and Cedric have done really well so Maitland-Niles is just a burden for the North London club.
The 24-year-old will not even close to getting into the first XI at Arsenal next season so if Nottingham Forest can come up with a decent bid then Arteta will surely let him leave.
Forest have failed to bring back Djed Spence from Middlesbrough which is they are probably looking at Maitland-Niles as the replacement for the 21-year-old.
According to TransferMarkt, Maitland-Niles is valued at £9 million and his contract with Arsenal expires in 2023 so Nottingham Forest will be able to sign him in a bargain deal.
