Maitland-Niles’ perfect role at Arsenal has a setback

The situation surrounding Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ time at Arsenal has been anything but straightforward. One minute he’s the first choice wing-back and the next he’s begging to leave before transfer deadline day.

A lot happened in between those events, granted. Where he is now, though, is a more tranquil place. From a public Instagram plea to having one of his better performances in the heart of midfield against Leeds in the Carabao Cup, a corner appears to have turned.

His loan spell at West Brom was his chance to play regularly in midfield. He got it. Then he returned to Arsenal and had a different outlook on his career, with the stint as a No. 8 said to be ‘out of his system’. Willing to play at full-back, Mikel Arteta duly responded by…not playing him at full-back.

Apart from the occasional late introduction to add legs at wing-back, the six matches where Maitland-Niles has played more than 15 minutes have all been in central midfield. Despite his openness to assume the adopted role he earned an England call-up in, the manager feels differently.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ perfect role at Arsenal has a setback as being fourth choice midfielder under Arteta is unlikely to be among his career goals

Against Leeds he put in one of his better displays in that position. Whereas he would normally strut around as if he had his hands in his pockets, such is his style, there was more energy and engagement in Maitland-Niles on this occasion, bringing box-to-box qualities with a touch more work-rate: less casual, more calm.

Partnering Mohamed Elneny in midfield, while they are different profiles, in the case of there being no Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka, or Sambi Lokonga to choose from for whatever reason, it’s him you’d rather have in the centre of the park than the Egyptian. That pecking order may well have been different before the season began, as he’s shown himself to be the superior player.

He isn’t the next big thing and he shouldn’t be starting Premier League matches, but he’s more than serviceable and as the fourth option in midfield he could carve open his own niche. Versatile enough, it would be the perfect role for him at the club.

The rather glaring setback with all of this is that whether his heart is fully invested in Arsenal or not, there is little reason to expect being fourth choice central midfielder is going to satisfy his ambitions.

Already making six Premier League appearances for Arsenal this season, they only amount to a total of 136 minutes, with one of those outings being a start against Norwich when both Partey and Xhaka weren’t available.

From Arteta’s point of view, one supporters will be largely on board with, having a Hale Ender playing what is effectively the Elneny role in the squad would be more than satisfactory. The issue being that that feeling is unlikely to be reciprocated.

When the summer comes round unless Maitland-Niles can be convinced that being a squad player at his boyhood club is the right path for him, he’s sure to depart with just one year left on his deal by that time.

Someone who is inconsistent in his application of the role, the signs are there of improvement. The fine-tuning will never amount to more than a squad position, but it would be a useful one at that and one few would have any major qualms over. The scale of Maitland-Niles’ ambition is what holds it back.