Arsenal: Mikel Arteta discusses the 'kind of player he wants'
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is ready to quit Arsenal because he does not believe Mikel Arteta believes in him, having only started one of their eight matches since football's return last month.
The 22-year-old was left out of the match-day squad for the Gunners' four Premier League matches before the coronavirus-enforced break.
But he was back in the team at Manchester City, coming off the bench to play in central midfield, just as he did at Southampton a week later.
Maitland-Niles has also come on as a wing-back against Wolves and Leicester and played the full 90 minutes of the FA Cup quarter-final win over Sheffield United.
Yet The Athletic say the Arsenal academy graduate has come to the conclusion about his future that he needs to leave the Emirates this summer in search of regular minutes elsewhere.
Arsenal star Ainsley Maitland-Niles wants transfer exit because of Mikel Arteta treatment (Image: GETTY)
Arsenal star Ainsley Maitland-Niles wants transfer exit because of Mikel Arteta treatment (Image: GETTY)
England youth international Maitland-Niles has racked up 96 appearances, including 29 this season, but despite impressing at right-back early on under Arteta has fallen out of favour.
And it is added that the player senses a lack of trust in him from his Spanish coach, and that his lack of game-time has convinced him he must depart in the upcoming transfer window.
That's despite Maitland-Niles being under contract in north London until 2023, and having had minutes in the centre of midfield - his favoured position - under Arteta of late.
He wants talks over his future to be resolved as soon as possible despite discussions having been planned between his representatives and the club for the end of the campaign.
Sides in England and Germany are interested in Maitland-Niles' talents, with the London-born ace thought to believe he can make a greater impact in midfield rather than defence, despite his willingness to fill in at the back if asked to do so.
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Speaking earlier this month, Maitland-Niles admitted of the reports he turned up late for training: "It doesn’t bother me what people label me as because I think the management know themselves.
"Okay I was late, maybe once during this manager’s time. It was a mistake, I spoke to the manager and put my hands up and took the consequences. Since then I haven’t been late."
And having returned to the team in a wing-back role in recent weeks, Maitland-Niles added to the Daily Telegraph: "I would play right-back every week if I had to. I am not really fussed.
"The main thing is being out there with the team and helping them win games. That’s where some people may have misjudged what I said before. They misinterpreted what I said.
"I didn’t mean I don’t want to play there because I would be happy to fill in and slot in and do the job anytime, anyplace.
"Obviously I do prefer playing central midfield but that is not to say I don’t want to play right-back or that I’m not going to do the job there if the manager asks me to.
"If the manager says to me 'Ains you gotta go in goal this game I will put the gloves on and I am ready to rock n' roll'."
Selling Maitland-Niles would offer Arsenal some much-needed funds as Arteta seeks to freshen up his squad, with Thomas Partey of Atletico Madrid a target in midfield.
Arsenal star Ainsley Maitland-Niles wants transfer exit because of Mikel Arteta treatment (Image: GETTY)
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The Arsenal manager said of his plans for the summer: "Well let's see, we're trying to put a plan together to improve what we have.
"We haven't been able to do or achieve the results we wanted in the last three years.
"There's a reason behind it and if we stand still obviously that gap will get bigger and bigger. I haven't come here to accept or to do that.
"The challenge for all of us is first of all to improve the players that we have and find the ways to improve the squad in the right positions in order to give us the best possible chance and tools that we need to compete at that level which is getting higher and higher every year."