Newcastle United join race to sign 25-year-old Arsenal man - Reports
Newcastle United are interested in signing Arsenal defender Ainsley Maitland-Niles, as per talkSPORT.
Newcastle join Bournemouth and Southampton as clubs interested in signing the Gunners player.
The English full-back has been surplus to requirements at the Emirates Stadium following the arrival of Takehiro Tomiyasu last summer.
He has fallen down the pecking order with Tomiyasu, Ben White and Cedric Soares all competing for a spot as Mikel Arteta's first-choice right back.
Maitland-Niles spent last season on loan at Serie A side AS Roma, where he made just 12 appearances.
Newcastle are looking to continue a strong transfer window having made Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak their latest signing.
The Swede joined from Real Sociedad for £63 million and it appears Eddie Howe's side aren't finished with their transfer business.
Maitland-Niles has a year left on his current deal with Arsenal.
The Englishman can play at both right and left back, as a winger and in central midfield.
He has made 132 appearances for the Gunners, scoring three goals and making eight assists.
However, the versatile full-back has failed to nail down a consistent place in Arteta's side and a departure seems best for all parties involved.
Arsenal's depth proving too much for Newcastle target Maitland-Niles to contend with
Arsenal are the side that are impressing the most at the start of the season and a lot of that is down to Arteta's side's strength in depth.
New signings such as Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko are excelling whilst the returning William Saliba has made the right centre-back positon his own.
This has pushed White out to right-back with the former Brighton & Hove Albion defender earning plaudits in the role.
The English defender has started all four of the Gunners' fixtures in the Premier League in the role.
Tomiyasu had been Arsenal's first-choice right-back throughout last season, making 23 appearances in his debut campaign.
However, the Japanese international would incur injury issues which meant Cedric would come into the side.
The Portuguese made 26 appearances and performed admirably in Tomiyasu's absence.
Ben White on Tomiyasu: He’s the best right-back I’ve ever played with. He’s always focussed. It’s an honour to play next to him! https://t.co/pBoo0WI0ZZ
There remain question marks over the future of Hector Bellerin, who spent last season on loan at La Liga side Real Betis.
The Spanish right-back is available this summer but the north London side are reportedly failing to find a potential suitor for him.
He has a year left on his contract and has been at the club for ten years.