More struggles came the now-England international's way, however. Maitland-Niles has been with the Gunners since he was six and has a contract that runs to 2023. "[His attitude is] Much better.

As highlighted by football.london on the day, Granit Xhaka took a much deeper position to the left, between the left-back and left-sided centre-back. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. All the latest Arsenal news and transfer rumours with updates on Mesut Ozil, Houssem Aouar and build-up to Manchester City, Sead Kolasinac targeted by Roma and Arsenal's Houssem Aouar interest remains for January, The Arsenal morning digest with the Gunners still keen on Aouar, Partey ready for his debut and a possible move for Kolasinac, What Arsenal's failed summer transfers including Aouar and Edouard mean for January window plans. Mikel Arteta will be hoping to continue his Gunners rebuild when the transfer window reopens. Telling football.london : "He’s a very useful player with great speed, technically gifted, a good passer of the ball and he can play as an attacking midfielder because he’s a threat every time with his runs. A natural midfielder, since breaking into the first team, he has been given very few chances in his natural position. Before getting into the bulk of what has happened in that time period, it's important to note that in the early stages of the restart, Arteta used Maitland-Niles as a central midfielder in his appearances against Manchester City and Southampton. Free subscription Get the hottest stories from the largest news site in Nigeria. At the point of Mikel Arteta's arrival, the 23-year-old was being reintegrated to the side by Freddie Ljungberg after arguably his worst spell in an Arsenal shirt. Maitland-Niles has represented England at age-group level. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta put his foot down to keep Ainsley Maitland-Niles at the club after Barcelona were ready to make a bid for the Gunners youngster. Despite playing a key role in the early Arteta days, he would find himself out of the starting lineup from January right through to the point football was halted in March - cameos off the bench and Under-23 run-outs at left-back his only source of game time. Arteta will need players beyond that three to fit into that system, however, and this is where Maitland-Niles can benefit. Alongside this, that Boxing Day trip to the Vitality also saw Maitland-Niles occupy very central areas at right-back. Latest on Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN "He's a really honest kid as well, we know him from the academy and the way he has developed here. By the time New Years' Day came around, it had become crystal clear that Arteta wanted to use Maitland-Niles - a midfielder by trade - as an inverted right-back. That would give Arsenal the necessary balance to stay solid in the middle third but also push forward into the final third. 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Ainsley Cory Maitland-Niles (born 29 August 1997) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal and the England national team.

Out of possession, he offered security for the midfield and defence from a more central starting point, and this has become the basis for Arteta's vision for his right-backs, which has been evident in Hector Bellerin's performances since. Get latest scores and headlines sent straight to your phone, sign-up to our newsletter and learn where to find us on online. Against Manchester United, the positions he picked up in possession were key to breaking through the press into the middle third, but also driving into the final third. ", the ball was in his court over lockdown and he reacted in exactly the right manner. How to get into football - the most popular sport in the world, with clubs and facilities throughout the UK.

Maitland-Niles is …

Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article - or any article on the Arsenal section of football.london in fact - labelled 'Get the biggest daily stories by email' and click 'Subscribe'. The 22-year-old made 32 appearances for Arsenal last season and started the FA Cup final victory over Chelsea. Even though the side served as a very necessary buffer between the Emery and Arteta eras, it was apparent immediately that the latter had very different, very specific demands for him. The latest rumours and stories from around the world of football. And he can play a holding midfielder because he’s played a lot there in his career." England have been hit with an injury crisis.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles' Arsenal career over the past year has been far from linear. Analysis and opinion from our chief football writer. It's noticeable when either himself or Bukayo Saka is played at left wing-back, but both constantly push into more central areas to create better passing lanes when building play, but also giving extra support to the midfield. In came Calum Chambers, and it wasn't until December, under Ljungberg that he started again in the Premier League against West Ham. However, the Gunners are committed to rebuilding under manager Mikel Arteta and have told Maitland-Niles they are willing to listen to offers for him. Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been linked with a shock move to Manchester United. Since then it's become much more common to see him used as a wing-back [both right and left] in Arteta's 3-4-3. Our. Wolves and Newcastle are both understood to be interested in the England Under-21 international, while Everton are also thought to be considering whether to make a move. With Thomas Partey's arrival, Arteta has spoken openly about the potential for a formation change. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, 23, from England Arsenal FC, since 2017 Right Midfield Market value: €14.50m * Aug 29, 1997 in London, England