03 December 2023 , 07:30
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Ainsley Maitland-Niles once seemed destined to become a regular fixture in the Arsenal starting XI, but nowadays can be found sitting on the bench for Lyon.
A product of the Gunners' famed Hale-End academy, Maitland-Niles got his first-team debut under Arsene Wenger and represented the club under the two managers that followed the iconic Frenchman. Tactically intelligent and technically assured, Maitland-Niles' versatility made him an attractive asset for Arsenal and ensured he became the subject of interest from elsewhere.
Over the course of his Gunners career, Maitland-Niles was the subject of interest from both Newcastle and Wolves. The latter of the aforementioned duo even lodged a bid for the defender, but it was swiftly rejected by Arsenal in the summer of 2020.
That rejection suggested that Mikel Arteta had high hopes for Maitland-Niles, but things soon soured for the England international in north London. Desperate to play in central midfield despite better performances as a right-back, the former West Brom loanee began to grow agitated at Arsenal.
Arteta has shown over the course of his Arsenal reign that he can rule with an iron first if need be and is believed to have exiled Maitland-Niles from the first-team fold due to regular tardiness, as per The Athletic. After being late to training on multiple occasions, the Arsenal boss made clear he wouldn't stand for it any longer.
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Comments from the Gunners boss did little to quash speculation surrounding a feud, with Arteta telling reporters: "Ainsley needs to put his head down and work hard, show me every day in training that he wants it more than anyone else, he wants to play for this club and fight for his place."
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Ainsley Maitland-Niles eventually left Arsenal as a free agent before joining Lyon this summer (Getty Images)After those comments, loan spells at West Brom, Roma and Southampton soon followed. Maitland-Niles suffered relegation in two of those, doing little to convince Arteta he was an option that could be used back at the Emirates.
It is for that reason that come the end of the 2022/23 campaign, Arsenal opted against extending Maitland-Niles' stay at the club. Soon after, he joined Lyon as a free agent but things have hardly got off to the best start in France for the former Gunner.
So far, Maitland-Niles has made just five appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit, accumulating in just 266 minutes. He has managed to complete 90 minutes just once, which came during a 4-1 defeat by Paris Saint-Germain. Lyon's last three league outings have seen the ex-Arsenal man either not named in the squad at all or left on the bench as an unused substitute.