Arsenal set for January transfer bid for important midfielder

They say that the year is just one long transfer window, only that in five of those 12 months you can actually buy players. There is always speculation somewhere, with Arsenal usually in the thick of it.

Having turned down an approach from Galatasaray and Besiktas for Mohamed Elneny on deadline day of the Turkish window, Mikel Arteta has been left with five recognised central midfielders to see out the season until January at the earliest.

Thomas Partey is the main man with Granit Xhaka his partner in crime, with those that follow set to plug holes in midfield in the case of either being absent. For the former that’s usually injury, while the latter is feared to have rediscovered his red mist this season.

Albert Sambi Lokonga is on course to be a top player for this club with many endearing traits, while the aforementioned Egyptian will see out the final year of his deal as the insurance policy that he is.

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Arsenal primed to receive permanent transfer bid from Everton for Ainsley Maitland-Niles as Everton plot January move for midfielder

And then there is Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Subject of interest from Everton towards the end of the UK window and making it abundantly clear on social media that he fancied an avenue out of the club in search of minutes, Arteta resisted.

Convincing the 24-year-old that he was part of his plans this season – possibly just his way of saying the money offered wasn’t good enough, which it wasn’t – Maitland-Niles looks set to play some role this term, however fleeting that may be.

However, Rafael Benitez’s side were keener than initially anticipated. As per James Olley of ESPN, Everton are set to revive their interest in the versatile Englishman in the coming winter window and test Arsenal’s resolve, particularly if he continues to miss out on minutes.

This time, the move will be a permanent one.

With a deal expiring in 2023, Arsenal will need to find the time to cash in on the Hale Ender before his value plummets like so many other mismanaged players in the squad. This is not the time.

Maitland-Niles isn’t set to play much at all in the coming months. He’s behind three midfielders already and Arteta has shown a preference to call on Elneny late in matches, while the signing of Takehiro Tomiyasu pushes him further down the pecking order at right-back, too.

Come January though, both Partey and Elneny will be jetting off to AFCON. Of all the points in the entire season where Maitland-Niles will be needed, none stand out more than the turn of the year. He may not be important now, but he will be then.

Xhaka and Sambi will likely partner one another in the Premier League and even if there are still doubts over Maitland-Niles’ suitability to an Arsenal midfield, he’s a body the club will require at some stage during that run of fixtures.

Unless something else happens.

Continued…