In a recent report, The Daily Mail has mentioned that Everton are set to rival Southampton for Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer. It is understood that both the Toffees and the Saints are showing interest in acquiring the English midfield ace’s services during this summer transfer window (via The Daily Mail).
Maitland-Niles’ Difficult Loan Spell At The Hawthorns
Maitland-Niles recently endured a tough loan spell with West Bromwich Albion as he struggled to help his team avoid relegation from the Premier League last season. The 23-year-old was involved in 36 matches for the Baggies in the previous campaign, picking up two assists in all competitions.
The English midfield ace deserves some credit for being a valuable contributor for West Brom in midfield after he averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.4 clearances, 0.7 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game in the English top-flight. He even distributed the ball with conviction, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 77.6% in league football (stats via whoscored).
Maitland-Niles has still got over two years left to run in his Arsenal contract, so the Toffees will have to make a good offer if they want to win the chase for his signature in this off-season. At 23, he has shown some signs of progress but only time will tell whether he can prove his worth as a regular starter in the Premier League next season if Everton end up signing him this summer.
Should The Toffees Move In For Maitland-Niles This Summer?
Maitland-Niles is a tough-tackling holding midfielder who can get stuck in with some crunching tackles to disrupt the opposition’s rhythm in the game. He has also got the hunger to earn possession back for his side and can also contribute by clearing his lines when needed. The English talent has the desire to make a few quick sprints with the ball towards the opposition penalty box but needs to find a way to be more creative in the attacking end of the pitch.
Maitland-Niles will add some much-needed bite and steel to the Toffees midfield and could provide some healthy competition for Tom Davies, Allan and Andre Gomes for one of the holding midfield spots in Everton’s starting XI.
The Arsenal workhorse is about to enter the peak stage of his football career, so the Merseysiders can expect to make the most out of his talents in the coming years if they can bring him to Goodison Park this summer. All in all, the Toffees would be wise to move in for Maitland-Niles so that they can strengthen their midfield options ahead of the new campaign.
