Ainsley Maitland-Niles: Leicester join Southampton and West Brom in race to sign Arsenal defender on loan
Written by News on 01/02/2021
Leicester have joined Southampton and West Brom in the race to sign Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal on Deadline Day.
All three Premier League clubs have held talks with Arsenal in the hope a last-minute loan deal can be agreed before the transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday.
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is keen to sign midfield cover following injuries to Dennis Praet and Wilfred Ndidi, and the club has held talks over a potential move for Maitland-Niles and Watford’s Nathaniel Chalobah.
However, Arsenal are reluctant to allow Maitland-Niles to join Leicester as they don’t want to strengthen a rival battling for the European places at the top of the Premier League.
West Brom manager Sam Allardyce also maintains hopes of signing Maitland-Niles and the 23-year-old is keen on a move to the Hawthorns, where he is more likely to get more game time – potentially in his preferred position in midfield.
Maitland-Niles is hoping to secure regular first-team football to boost his chances of playing at Euro 2020.
England manager Gareth Southgate remains an admirer of the versatile full-back but has made it clear he must be playing regularly if he is to be included in the squad for the tournament, which begins on June 11.
Maitland-Niles came close to joining Wolves in the summer transfer window but Arsenal turned down a £15m bid.
A product of Arsenal’s academy, Maitland-Niles has made 121 appearances for the club since breaking into the first-team in 2014.
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The winter transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday, February 1, and Sky Sports will bring you all the drama as clubs scramble to get the final pieces of business over the line.
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