Arsenal receive official Maitland-Niles transfer offer from Roma

Arsenal have received an official bid from AS Roma to sign midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles in the January transfer window.

Publicly announcing his desire to leave Arsenal in the recent summer window, Maitland-Niles was convinced (told?) to stay in north London by Mikel Arteta who assured him that he was in his plans for the coming season.

Not coming off the bench in the recent 2-1 defeat to Manchester City meant that it’s now eight Premier League matches since the 24-year-old featured for the Gunners, albeit a few of those matches seeing him miss out with Covid and illness.

It has prompted talk of a winter window for the Hale Ender, although interest came sooner than expected with Roma throwing their hat in the ring. Talk had began and rumours went as far as calling the deal done, although history with Granit Xhaka and the Italian side proved that nothing should be taken for granted.

https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1478022176280301568

Arsenal receive official Ainsley Maitland-Niles transfer offer from Roma of loan with option to buy in January window

There has now, however, been an official offer made to Arsenal from Jose Mourinho’s side: a loan deal with an option to buy at the end of the season.

As per The Athletic, Arsenal have yet to respond to the offer with Roma desperate for the deal to be concluded as soon as possible this January. They have crucial fixtures with AC Milan and Juventus coming up, but if Arsenal dally on this deal then they will swiftly move on to other targets despite Mourinho’s admiration for the player.

Roma want to sign Maitland-Niles permanently this window, but are struggling to accumulate the funds (sounds familiar, right?) and instead plan to sell three players – Pau Lopez, Justin Kluivert and Cengiz Under – between now and the summer to then make the deal permanent.

It’s a deal that Maitland-Niles is keen on, and if it doesn’t come off then he will stay at Arsenal over other options. The Gunners are said to be ‘digging their heels in’ over negotiations.

And that is entirely understandable for two reasons: the option to buy is no guarantee of a sale, and Maitland-Niles moving to Italy leaves Arteta with just two senior central midfielders across January after Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny left for AFCON.

Arsenal would have to dip into the market and if there is at least an obligation to buy Maitland-Niles then there will be more money to spend. This, however, does not suit Arsenal.

This should develop quickly.