Arsenal sanction shock Maitland-Niles transfer departure

Arsenal brushed Norwich City aside on Sunday to consolidate their place in the Premier League top four ahead of the come new year.

And what does the new year entail? Transfer season, of course.

Recording four positive Covid tests in the build-up to the 5-0 thumping of Norwich, Ainsley Maitland-Niles featured in that group to leave Arsenal perilously low on right-back options. All four of their cases affect that position.

But Maitland-Niles’ absence more importantly impacts central midfield.

Arsenal to sanction shock Ainsley Maitland-Niles transfer departure to Roma with Mikel Arteta happy to let midfielder leave despite AFCON

Featuring in that position in every outing he’s made this season, the 24-year-old has impressed with his mature displays demonstrating greater energy and focus than previously. Despite that, the minutes have been hard to come by and even before his Covid case appearances had dried up.

Nonetheless, with Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny due to depart for AFCON in January, it’s an area of the pitch sorely lacking in numbers. Granit Xhaka, Sambi Lokonga and Maitland-Niles are the only senior options to play there once the African pair leave.

18-year-old Charlie Patino making the bench against the Canaries for the first time in his career demonstrated that.

So, with the news breaking that Arsenal are set to sanction a loan move with an option to buy for Maitland-Niles in January comes as quite the shock. As per Goal, and other outlets, Roma are inching ever closer to securing his signature for the remainder of the campaign and then possibly after that. This follows other reports of previous interest.

It’s a great move for Maitland-Niles, but a peculiar one from the Gunners’ perspective.

Having only two senior options to take part in what is a hectic January fixture list following an equally manic December seems somewhat illogical. Arsenal will be competing in three different competitions across January and also have a rearranged fixture with Wolves to come after it was revealed that the game will not go ahead.

What this does hint at, however, and rather strongly too, is that Mikel Arteta has someone lined up in the transfer market. He has to. Recalling Miguel Azeez and promoting Charlie Patino will not be sufficient or wise for the quantity and quality of matches.

When exactly is is that Maitland-Niles will be allowed to leave is another matter. Arsenal may be keen to keep hold of him for as long into January as possible which at this stage, with no known interest in a new midfielder, seems the most likely.