Fulham will reportedly look to bring 26-year-old former Arsenal utility man Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Lyon in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by TEAMtalk, Ainsley Maitland-Niles is the subject of interest from Fulham. The Cottagers are scouring the market for a midfielder heading into the summer transfer window amid uncertainties surrounding the long-term future of Joao Palhinha. The 26-year-old Lyon utility man has thus emerged as a target for the West London club.
The Ainsley Maitland-Niles story
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has found a stable footing in his career since joining Lyon from Arsenal in a Bosman move last summer. A native of London, the Englishman spent his formative years in his homeland, progressing through the ranks at Arsenal before making his first-team debut nearly a decade ago.
The 26-year-old carved a place for himself in the first-team squad at Arsenal for a few years, proving his credentials as a utility man due to his ability to play as a full-back on both flanks and a midfielder. However, Maitland-Niles’s Arsenal career disintegrated around 2020, embarking on three loan spells away from the Emirates before leaving the North London club as a free agent.
While the English international was not an undisputed first-choice starter for Lyon in the 2023/24 season. However, Maitland-Niles impressed in his 29 appearances for Les Gones, chipping in with two goals and four assists. The former Arsenal utility man has made his mark, capturing the attention of Fulham.
London return in the pipeline?
Fulham’s interest in Ainsley Maitland-Niles is understandable. The Cottagers are scouring the market for a midfielder heading into the summer transfer window amid uncertainties surrounding the long-term future of Joao Palhinha. Recent reports have linked the West London club with versatile midfielders like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Maitland-Niles is also a viable target for Fulham, with the 26-year-old utility man an option for the two full-back berths as well. Marco Silva is driving the move for the Lyon man, looking to bring him back to the Premier League.
A summer move might be on the cards, with Maitland-Niles considering returning to London only a year after leaving Arsenal to join Lyon. It will be interesting to see if Fulham can secure his services in the summer transfer window.
