Nottingham Forest In The Hunt For Forgotten Arsenal Man Ainsley Maitland-Niles

As Djed Spence looks to be joining Tottenham Hotspur in the very near future, Steve Cooper and his Nottingham Forest team are looking at bringing in Ainsley Maitland-Niles from Arsenal.

According to The Mirror, Nottingham Forest have made contact with Arsenal regarding the permanent transfer of Maitland-Niles.

Forest have made their long awaited return to the Premier League and see the Englishman as the perfect candidate to bolster the strength of their squad.

Maitland-Niles is still only 24 years of age and has one year left on his Arsenal deal. With no new contract on the horizon, he may be looking to make the permanent move from North London.

Forest boss Cooper also has familiarity with Maitland-Niles, as he was a coach during Maitland-Niles’ formative years in the England youth set up.

Having moved up from the Championship and with demands on the squad higher than ever, Forest are keen to bolster their squad to ensure they become a mainstay in the Premier League.

Maitland-Niles was loaned to AS Roma in the second half of the season in search for more game time, but he found minutes hard to come by as he only managed 12 appearances across all competitions.

Furthermore, with the Arsenal rebuild in full swing, Maitland-Niles looks to be surplus to requirements at this stage.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles during his time with AS Roma

The former Hale End academy graduate will certainly be looking for a fresh start, with minutes at Arsenal looking unlikely, and there will no shortage of suitors for the versatile Englishman.

Throughout his career, the 24-year-old has lined up at full-back, wing-back, as a winger, and in midfield. Having returned from Italy with some fresh experience and a European trophy under his belt, it is likely he will have a pick of a wide range of clubs in pursuit of his talents.

With the transfer window now officially open, player movement will start ramping up and without a guarantee of regular gametime from Mikel Arteta, it’s unlikely that Maitland-Niles will be wearing the red and white of Arsenal again.