Arsenal man to agree new contract before leaving on loan, as Southampton usurp Newcastle in chase

Ainsley Maitland-Niles will reportedly sign a new Arsenal contract before leaving on loan, with Premier League teams queuing up to sign him.

Maitland-Niles spent the second half of last season on loan at Roma. He made 12 appearances under Jose Mourinho at the Stadio Olimpico, mainly as a wing-back. However, he failed to register a single goal or assist.

The Englishman didn’t really impress Mourinho or the Roma fans, and this saw him spend a large amount of his time on the bench.

Maitland-Niles is now back in north London with Arsenal. But he is free to leave the Gunners on loan as Mikel Arteta has other players he can use on the right side of defence or in central midfield.

Southampton began pushing for Maitland-Niles’ signature last week, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Their transfer pursuit then came under threat from Newcastle. As per 90Min, the Magpies begun talks with Arsenal chiefs over Maitland-Niles on Tuesday.

Eddie Howe needs right-back reinforcements after Emil Krafth’s ACL injury. And he views Maitland-Niles as a good option.

Despite Newcastle’s push, it seems Southampton are about to win the race for the 25-year-old.

Saints on verge of Ainsley Maitland-Niles capture

Romano comes in with an update on his future and states Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side are closing in on an agreement.

They will soon capture Maitland-Niles on loan with an option to buy, should he do well at St Mary’s.

The Saints are also in talks with the player and his agent over personal terms. Once these are sorted, Southampton will get to work on organising a medical.

Maitland-Niles’ current Arsenal contract expires in June 2023. This means he would become a free agent after the Southampton loan, unless Arsenal acted.

As such, they are planning to offer him a new deal before he goes off to the south coast. This means the Gunners should be able to pick up some money for Maitland-Niles if Southampton use their option to buy at the end of the season.

The versatile player will arrive at Southampton to compete with Kyle Walker-Peters and Yan Valery for a spot at right-back. Hassenhuttl also has Tino Livramento in his squad, though the former Chelsea man is recovering from injury.

As Maitland-Niles can also operate in midfield, he will bolster Hasenhuttl’s options in the middle of the park too. In the recent 2-1 victory over Chelsea, Ibrahima Diallo played in a midfield two with Romeo Lavia. Skipper James Ward-Prowse was selected in a more advanced midfield role.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa want to keep Arsenal and Liverpool away from a player by offering him fresh terms, according to a report.