Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ stance revealed amid Roma transfer interest

Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles is only keen on joining Roma during the ongoing transfer window, The Athletic reports.

The England international was eager to join Everton on loan in the summer, but manager Mikel Arteta blocked his potential exit.

He has since struggled to secure regular game time, and this has led to speculation that he could leave during the current month.

After holding talks with the Gunners, Roma have lodged a loan offer with an option to buy, but there has been no response so far.

The north London giants remain undecided over the proposal, particularly with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny away from the club.

Maitland-Niles is only looking for a move to Roma this month as he believes the club could boost his international prospects this year.

Tammy Abraham transformed his career after joining the Giallorossi from Chelsea. The Gunners graduate is hoping for a similar turnaround.

If a deal does not go through, the 24-year-old is prepared to stay with the Gunners for the rest of the season.

Our view:

Mikel Arteta spoke fondly about Maitland-Niles after denying him a summer exit, but his fortunes have not changed.

Despite a long-term injury to Granit Xhaka, he struggled to nail down a starting role with competition from Thomas Partey, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny.

Partey and Elneny are off for African Cup of Nations duty this month, but there is a high likeliness that Xhaka and Lokonga will be Arteta’s preferred midfield pairing.

There are no surprises that Maitland-Niles is eyeing an exit, but his departure seems unlikely at the moment.

Roma are reluctant to wait with key matches against AC Milan and Juventus coming up. Unless the Gunners land a quick replacement, Maitland-Niles may not join them.

There has recently been a surprise link with Paris Saint-Germain’s Georginio Wijnaldum. The Gunners are reportedly weighing up a loan bid for the former Liverpool midfielder.

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