Arsenal have undergone a serious reshuffle to their squad under Mikel Arteta and, in all honesty, it’s still going on. The likes of Mesut Ozil and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have been moved on to make room for some new members of the squad.
According to a report from The Mirror, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is considering going out on loan this month. The loan would reportedly last until the end of the season, which would give him some time to prove himself to Gareth Southgate and his England selection for the postponed European championships.
I must say, I’m a huge fan of Maitland-Niles. Why wouldn’t I be? As an Arsenal fan, he is so easy to admire, coming from Hale End and always striving to succeed at his boyhood club. His composure on the ball is very easy on the eye too, which helps.
More from Arsenal FC
- Gunners do just enough to claim victory in season opener
- Arsenal: We bottled it but I don’t care
- Arsenal complete record deal for Declan Rice
- Arsenal splurges on transfers as they aim to collect silverware
- Arsenal complete the signing of Kai Havertz
However, I cannot deny that this is the right thing to do. Arteta is implementing a strategy which seems to disfavour Maitland-Niles. Therefore, going out on loan to another club and picking up some more valuable experience would be the best option for him.
I don’t think Arteta should commit to selling him just yet. He hasn’t seem enough of him in different positions to make such a decision. Hiring scouts to watch his loan move clearly will serve Arteta well in his future decisions but for now, AMN deserves the chance to fight for a spot in the England spot.
As for options, there will be many. We saw earlier in the season when it was reported Arteta would sell him how many clubs were lining up at the possibility. Even if it just a loan move, there will be some surprise contenders in the mix. At the end of the day, I just hope he can find some valuable game time.
Where do you think Ainsley Maitland-Niles will be playing for the remainder of the season?