Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles decision can’t wait any longer

Arsenal have been in this situation before with other players, but Ainsley Maitland-Niles can’t be treated the same way. It’s time to make a decision.

Arsenal’s ability to accumulate central midfielders is uncanny. It feels like for every striker or defender they build or buy, they build or buy three central midfielders and find themselves so overstocked that they have to use them in other positions.

It wasn’t that long ago that there was no room for Aaron Ramsey, so they had to force him to play right wing. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain left because he was sick of playing right back – he wanted to be a central midfielder.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles fits in that same category of central midfielders that are not being deployed in their preferred position.

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This past year, Maitland-Niles split his appearances across multiple positions, but primarily, he was used as a fullback or wingback, spending 11 of his appearances there. A further two were spent as a rightback, leaving just three starts in the center of midfield.

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This doesn’t account for the eight substitute appearances, but again, those were primarily served as a defender.

Central midfield has never been more open for the Gunners. As in, there has never been a better opportunity for a hungry central midfielder to stake his claim at a place like Arsenal. With Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny the only two for sure staying (as of writing) and Aaron Ramsey presumably going to sign a new deal, that leaves a massive opportunity.

Jack Wilshere is probably gone, which clears the way for another peripheral midfielder with upside and honestly, Maitland-Niles has more going for him than Wilshere.

But in order to maximize his potential, there has to be some sort of concerted decision-making regarding where he is going to play. Maitland-Niles is too talent to float around as a fill in and, before long, he will grow unsatisfied with that role anyway.

So it either happens now, or it doesn’t. Because with all the talk of a need for central midfielders, it’s likely that there is a transfer for one in the immediate future. Which will further block Maitland-Niles.

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Either commit to him or be honest with him about his future with the club. He needs to be where he wants to be by next season, because the decision has been put off long enough.