Arsenal ace Ainsley Maitland-Niles plots summer transfer exit as he plans to prove himself as a midfielder
AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES is reportedly planning to QUIT Arsenal when he returns from his West Brom loan this summer.
The claims that Maitland-Niles, 23, is ready to leave the Gunners having joined them aged just SIX in 2003.
The versatile ace has clocked up 121 games for Arsenal, playing as both a central midfielder and a wing-back.
But with just two years left on his contract, and the Londoners apparently unprepared to offer fresh terms, Maitland-Niles will seek an exit at the end of the season, according to the .
Arsenal rejected a £20million bid from Wolves at the start of the campaign as Maitland-Niles became part of Gareth Southgate’s England plans.
However, a lack of opportunities at the Emirates saw Maitland-Niles eventually join West Brom on loan in January.
And with just six games under his belt for the relegation-threatened Baggies, Maitland-Niles may have blown his chances of making the England squad for the Euros.
The ace is now ready to move on for a fresh challenge and hopes he can become a fully-established central midfielder.
However, Maitland-Niles also accepts that many of the Premier League’s top-end sides may consider him to be more of a full-back.
And he would be willing to play on the flank should the likes of Manchester United, who are in the market for a new right-back, come calling.
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It’s believed Wolves retain an interest in Maitland-Niles, who is set to play in midfield for West Brom against Chelsea on Saturday.
He is also being tracked by Leicester and Southampton, but Maitland-Niles is eager to join a club where he would be considered an important fixture in the starting XI.
That would also boost his chances of returning to the England squad and becoming part of Southgate’s plans for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
