Ainsley Maitland-Niles has reportedly been offered to West Ham United, with two more Premier League clubs keen on signing the Arsenal utility man.
According to talkSPORT, Ainsley Maitland-Niles could leave Arsenal before the summer transfer window closes after being offered to West Ham United. There is further interest from Southampton and Bournemouth in the midfielder, who remains out of favour under Mikel Arteta.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles’s Arsenal career is inching closer to a conclusion as he may depart from the Emirates before the transfer window shuts. The English utility man is available for a move, with the Gunners likely to agree on a permanent transfer.
For so long, it was thought that Maitland-Niles’s contract ended in 2023. But Fabrizio Romano revealed the club might hold an option to extend it by another season. Such a clause allows Arsenal to agree on a loan deal with suitors, with an option/obligation to buy him next summer.
Maitland-Niles spent the second half of the 2021/22 season on loan at AS Roma, where he won the UEFA Europa Conference League. But since his overall performance did not convince Jose Mourinho, the Giallorossi passed up the opportunity to sign him permanently.
Southampton are pushing to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Talks now in progress with Arsenal on loan with buy option, as current AFC deal also included an option to extend until 2024. ?⚪️? #SaintsFC
Saints, insisting to beat competition from two more clubs. #AFC pic.twitter.com/iaCYW7XYi4
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 24, 2022
Maitland-Niles returned to Arsenal for pre-season, and Arteta’s selection patterns confirmed he remains out of favour at the Emirates. He has now been offered to West Ham United, who do hold an interest in the versatile midfielder.
Nottingham Forest were also keen, along with Southampton and Bournemouth. If Maitland-Niles had a choice, West Ham could become an attractive destination comparing the other clubs. Forest have an appealing ongoing project, but moving within London could appease the Arsenal utility man.
David Moyes remains on the hunt for a midfield option, and if he is to find someone who can double up as a right-back in many games, then the player becomes a key target. West Ham need such a professional, and Maitland-Niles could be the man.
Whether the Hammers open discussions with Arsenal remains to be seen, Moyes would ideally like a loan deal and could be available to a buy option. Arsenal will be hoping to get a decent fee from West Ham for their academy graduate, who has become irrelevant to their plans in recent years.
West Ham are also in the hunt for players in several other positions and have made some late moves in the market. The Londoners lodged a €40 million bid for Lucas Paqueta as discussions continue with Lyon. Bringing in decent players before the deadline would undoubtedly improve Moyes’s options for the season after enduring a difficult start to the campaign.
