Arsenal could be on the verge of supporting Tottenham’s transfer business in the summer transfer which would also weaken Mikel Arteta’s side. This comes due to Ainsley Maitland-Niles' proposed move to Nottingham Forest.
Maitland-Niles is attracting interest from Nottingham Forest over a permanent transfer, football.london understands. The newly-promoted side are targeting Maitland-Niles as a replacement for Djed Spence who has been linked with a move to Spurs. This also comes after Arsenal’s recent interest in the Middlesbrough full-back.
However, Edu must reject a deal between Forest and Maitland-Niles. Not only could it prevent Spurs from signing Spence as he could make a return to the side where he had success on loan last season, but the Arsenal player should be used as a backup option at full back for Mikel Arteta next season.
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It isn’t the first time that Maitland-Niles’ future has been in doubt at the club, as he almost left the club after an impressive spell under Unai Emery. A transfer to Wolves was imminent after a £25m bid was tabled, but the Gunners ended up blocking the deal.
Arsenal were able to receive such a high bid for their player because the Englishman was excelling as a full-back under Emery, and it is a position that Arteta should try to utilise Maitland-Niles in again after the recent troubles that Arsenal have faced in this position.
Despite the excellent acquisition of Takehiro Tomiyasu from Bologna in a bargain £19.8million deal, Arteta’s side still requires another right-back in the squad. Due to the sale of Calum Chambers, it means that Tomiyasu has been left with little real competition for his spot - a problem that Arsenal encountered with the Japanese star suffering form injuries throughout the campaign.
Cedric Soares has been utilized as Tomiyasu’s back-up, but his performances have shown that he is not at the level that is capable of Arsenal competing for a regular place in the Champions League. The Portugal international needs to be replaced by a more reliable and younger full-back.
Maitland-Niles has already proved that he is a capable option at right-back. His versatility makes him a useful option as he also was used as a left-back by Arsene Wenger during the 2017/2018 season, which was the campaign where the Englishman broke into the first team.
Arsenal had already signed a left-back from Benfica in the previous transfer window after Nuno Tavares joined the club for a £7m fee. Despite an impressive start to life in north London, Tavares gradually showed his defensive vulnerability and inexperience in the position.
The Gunners will need to strengthen at left-back to have better cover for Tierney who has been prone to injury since making the switch from Celtic in 2019. Maitland-Niles’ early success in this position highlights that he could be a decent option.
Maitland-Niles had previously complained about being used as a full-back. But with Nottingham Forest’s reported intentions to use him in that position, Arsenal will be better off by keeping him at the club.
