In a recent report, The Daily Mirror has revealed that Leeds United are facing fierce competition in pursuit of Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles who is currently playing on loan at West Bromwich Albion. It is understood that the Whites will have to battle it out with Crystal Palace and AS Monaco in the race to land the English talent (via The Daily Mirror).
Maitland-Niles’ Fruitful Loan Spell At West Brom
Maitland-Niles is having a solid loan spell at the Hawthorns despite West Brom’s recent relegation struggles in the Premier League. The 23-year-old has made nine appearances for the Baggies this term but is still waiting to score or assist his first goal for them.
During his loan stay with the West Midlands club, the London-born sensation has caught the eye by averaging 2.2 tackles, 0.9 interceptions, 1.6 clearances, 0.6 shots and 1.4 dribbles per game in the English top-flight. He has even distributed the ball relatively well after completing 79.1% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Maitland-Niles’ recent form has been quite good, so Leeds should think about luring him to Elland Road when the transfer window commences later this year. The player can also benefit from such a move as he will get a chance to play regularly under the expert stewardship of Marcelo Bielsa.
What Will Maitland-Niles Bring To Elland Road?
Maitland-Niles is a quick and agile midfielder who can also fill in as a right-back or as a right-winger if needed. He has shown great hunger to win possession back for West Brom at the centre of the park. Plus, the five-time England international can scan the danger quickly and is not afraid to put his foot through the ball when in danger of being closed down by the opposition. A tough-tackling and versatile player like Maitland-Niles will bring a lot of bite and steel to Marcelo Bielsa’s squad at Elland Road.
At 23, Maitland-Niles is about to embark upon the peak stage of his playing career, so the Whites can expect to get the best out of him if they manage to land him this summer. He is also a decent passer of the ball but needs to add a few goals and assists to his game if he intends to be a regular feature at the highest level.
Maitland-Niles will undeniably increase competition for places within Bielsa’s squad and could prove to be a real asset for the Yorkshire giants in the coming seasons. Therefore, Leeds should try everything in their power to engineer a move to bring Maitland-Niles to Elland Road in this off-season.
