Southampton and Watford are eyeing up a move for Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles, according to reports.
The 23-year-old spent the latter part of last season on loan at West Brom but still has two years to run on his deal with the Gunners.
The Mirror are reporting that Southampton and Watford have both earmarked the right-back – who can also operate at wing-back or in midfield – as a potential target.
It could well be a big summer of ins and outs at the Emirates Stadium, as Arsenal look to rebuild following their worst Premier League season in 26 years, and Maitland-Niles spoke recently about wanting some clarity over his future.
“I need to speak to [Mikel Arteta] and see where sees me,” said the five-time England international.
“The main thing that’s needed is clarity … Once that stuff is worked out, everything else will follow from there.
“We’ll see what happens, but all this free time gets to your head sometimes – thinking when the club is linked with this person, or that person, it gets in your head and swallows you up sometimes.”
Despite the links, neither Southampton nor Watford – who finished second in the Championship to return to the top flight at the first time of asking – are in particular need of a right-back this window, with both having good depth in the position.
Nor do the Saints or Hornets tend to deploy a back three, which makes it hard to see how Maitland-Niles would obviously fit into the plans of either club, regardless of his versatility. (That said, we know how Watford get through managers, so where he’d fit into their current plans might not even be that relevant…)
Maitland-Niles came through the Arsenal youth system and has featured 121 times for the Gunners since making his debut back in 2014.
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