"It’s been great journey but it has come to an end now” - 25-year-old Arsenal man confirms he will leave this summer
Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles has confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the season. Currently on loan at Southampton, he is open to staying at St. Mary's despite their possible relegation.
The Englishman is set to end his stay at Arsenal after spending almost 20 years at the club. The 25-year-old confirmed that the decision to part ways was made a few months ago and that he has had no contact with anyone with the Gunners since.
Maitland-Niles was talking to The Athletic when he confirmed that a decision not to extend his stay at Arsenal was made. He claims that it is now time to find a new home and make a fresh start in his career. He said:
"It's been a great journey but it has come to an end now (at Arsenal). It's time for a fresh start and to find a new home. I'm looking forward to that but, at the same time, my head's not quite there yet and it's all about what's happening now with Southampton."
He was happy to stay at Southampton and added:
"I'm just fully focused on trying to help us stay up and stay positive on a day-to-day basis and win games. When the time gets closer towards the end of the season, I'll have something else to think about. But right now, I'm just focused on football and the task at hand. Southampton is a great club to be at and progress and get some minutes under my belt. Of course, if they were to make an offer, I'll be more than happy to stay."
Mikel Arteta hinted at Arsenal role for loanee next season
Mikel Arteta claimed last week that he was open to having Ainsley Maitland-Niles in his squad next season. The Spaniard added that he was pleased with the 25-year-old's versatility and was quoted by Metro saying:
"He was a really important part. It's a player with incredible versatility that has played in many positions. For different reasons, some personal, some professional he had to move around a lot. At the end of the season we will sit down and decide what is the best thing for everyone to do to move forward."
Maitland-Niles joined Arsenal as a six-year-old and was loaned out to Ipswich Town, West Bromwich Albion, and AS Roma before his stint at Southampton.