Ainsley Maitland-Niles has hailed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta despite being loaned out by the Gunners once again.
Whilst Bukayo Saka has become a superstar after emerging through the Hale End ranks, not everybody can reach those heights.
Some players come through at Arsenal and end up having to leave for first-team action.
One such example is Maitland-Niles, who finds himself out on loan once again.
The 25-year-old just hasn’t nailed down a place under Arteta and was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion in 2021.
Maitland-Niles spent the second half of last season with Roma and now all of this season with Southampton.
This season has been frustrating for Maitland-Niles, starting just nine games in a struggling Saints side.
Maitland-Niles will surely be leaving Arsenal permanently soon enough, but he still rates Arteta very highly.
Maitland-Niles has spoken to The Sun about Arteta as he watches Arsenal push for the Premier League title.
The utility man suggests that that Arteta is ’second to none’ in the way he absolutely lives and breathes football.
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Maitland-Niles also noted that everybody at Arsenal has completely bought into Arteta’s approach and his demands for what he wants at the Emirates Stadium.
Maitland-Niles feels the commitment to Arteta’s approach is clear in recent performances, hailing the Arsenal boss.
“The way he lives and breathes football and looks at the game is second to none, like Arteta,” said Maitland-Niles. “Maybe that’s the Spanish mentality, the love of football they have. He’s a very straightforward person. He tells you what he wants and needs.”
“From day one, he said, ‘This is the way we are going to move forward. This is what I want everyone to do’. Everyone has jumped on board and is happy to do ten times what he is asking for. You can see that in recent performances,” he added.
Arteta may not have wanted to utilise Maitland-Niles much during his time as Arsenal boss, but the Saints loanee has no hard feelings towards Arteta.
Maitland-Niles is still contracted to Arsenal until 2024 but it’s starting to feel like now or never.
This summer could be the ideal time for Arsenal to sell Maitland-Niles before he leaves the club for absolutely nothing.
Premier League clubs will surely be interested in signing Maitland-Niles and it may well be best for him to move on and find a new permanent home.
In other news, “Leeds fans will join us”: Ian Wright makes claim ahead of Arsenal vs Leeds on Saturday
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