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Former Premier League defender Danny Mills feels Ainsley Maitland-Niles has played his last game for Arsenal following his loan move to AS Roma.
Maitland-Niles will play for Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign after securing a loan deal until the end of the season.
The versatile midfielder struggled for regular playing time under Mikel Arteta and was looking to move elsewhere even before the season began.
The 24-year-old made headlines during the summer window with his outburst on Instagram. He publicly expressed his desire to go to a club where he was 'wanted' and where 'he could play' after Arsenal stalled a potential move to Everton.
Mills explained that Maitland-Niles is a “very good player” but may have played his last game for the Gunners as it does not seem like they have him in their plans:
“I’m surprised he hadn’t [already gone] when you look at the players they’ve brought in. Is this move a surprise? Probably not. You look at it at left-back and they’ve got Tierney in there and Tavares in there as well. He’s probably slipped down the pecking order."
“He probably thinks he knows he’s not going to play for the club again so he needs to go out and play and show what he can do. He’s a very good player but it looks like, for whatever reason, the club are not overly keen and want to move him on,” Mills told Football Insider.
Maitland-Niles will hope to resurrect his career away from Arsenal
Maitland-Niles can play anywhere across midfield and was one of the most versatile players at Arsenal. However, his ability to play in multiple positions perhaps hindered his progress.
Under Arteta, Maitland-Niles had a bit-part role and he was often used as a makeshift player to play in multiple roles.
The Gunners strengthened their squad over the summer transfer window, so Maitland-Niles’ playing time took a hit. Maitland-Niles managed just over 260 minutes of league action this season. He also mustered just four starts across all competitions for the London club before his loan move to Roma.
The 24-year old will hope to play more regularly for the Serie A side, who have struggled this season under Jose Mourinho.
He was immediately thrown into the firing line against Juventus on Sunday, but couldn’t help his side avoid defeat.
