Arsenal: Can Ainsley Maitland-Niles actually start?

Ainsley Maitland-Niles was handed a new long-term contract in the summer. Unai Emery obviously likes him. But can he actually forge a starting role for himself?

It is the hardest step in the development of a young talent: moving from rotational prospect to fully-fledged starter. Arsenal have experienced it many times with many players in the past.

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Alex Iwobi thought he’d done it two years ago. Now, he’s in the same position that he always was. It took Aaron Ramsey the best part of five years. Jack Wilshere made the grade and then lost his starting place. Kieran Gibbs never made it. And now, it is the step that Ainsley Maitland-Niles is hoping to make.

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Unai Emery has just entered the Emirates. Opportunity abounds. And for Maitland-Niles, he has been given much reason to dream. Ivan Gazidis used Emery’s work on Maitland-Niles as an example of the detail that the new Head Coach goes into during the Spaniard’s introductory press conference, which Maitland-Niles conceded was flattering, and the 20-year-old was also handed a new contract extension earlier in the summer which is set to keep him in north London for the foreseeable future. Prospects, then, are looking up for Maitland-Niles.

But can the midfielder actually force his way into the Arsenal starting XI on a regular basis or will he forever be seen as a talent rather than a genuine contributor? Because, for Maitland-Niles to deliver on his potential, he needs to prove that he can be more than just a hope for the future. He needs to forge a role for himself, and more than just the versatile reserve that he was last season.

If it is midfield that Maitland-Niles wants to play, and every indication suggests that it is, then he will first have to oust the likes of Mohamed Elneny as first-reserve, before beginning to challenge the likes of Granit Xhaka in the starting line-up.

It would be surprising if he was unable to usurp Aaron Ramsey. It would likely be the wrong role for him, Ramsey playing in a more advanced role than his young counterpart. And you would assume that Lucas Torreira, should his transfer be completed as is anticipated, would start invariably. So Xhaka, then, is perhaps the most vulnerable of those that are likely to start the season in the midfield.

It’s fair to say that Maitland-Niles has some key advantages of Xhaka, primarily stemming from his far greater athleticism and ability to cover ground. But with Torreira providing the legs and energy at the base of the midfield, will Emery prefer the greater passing range and deep-lying distribution of Xhaka?

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Ultimately, Maitland-Niles’ role next year depends on Emery’s evaluation of his utility. If he is deemed useful, he will play; if he isn’t, he won’t. It’s that simple. It rests, therefore, on Maitland-Niles to prove his quality to Emery.