The versatile 23-year-old is seen as surplus to requirements at Arsenal and is expected to leave in the ongoing transfer window
Former Leicester City defender Steve Howey believes there is no way Ainsley Maitland-Niles can play in the team, if he joins them, ahead of Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi.
The Arsenal midfielder is seen as surplus to requirements for the Mikel Arteta-led charges, and last season he served West Bromwich Albion albeit on loan. However, he could not save the Baggies from heading to the Championship.
Howey believes if the Foxes sign Maitland-Niles, he will not be the first choice, especially in midfield.
“I mean, he obviously started off at Arsenal as kind of a full-back,” Howey told Transfer Tavern.
“Big Sam [Allardyce] brought him in at West Brom; ultimately, it did not pay off because they got relegated. I think he is a decent player, but he is not getting ahead of Ndidi and [Youri] Tielemans.”
Meanwhile, Ndidi is proud of City’s achievements last season and he is eager to help them win more titles in the 2021-22 campaign after last season’s FA Cup triumph.
The Super Eagles star played a crucial role in the middle of the park as Brendan Rodgers’ men came out victorious in the oldest football Cup in the world after defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Wembley Stadium.
“Now we’re just putting in the work. We’re beginning to get our fitness and trying to look ahead to the games. We’ve always known [Rodgers’] philosophy and everything,” Ndidi told the club’s website.
“We know our targets. We, as players, know what we want as a group. We know what we want to achieve and I think it’s something that we all look forward to.
“I’m really proud of the group with what we achieved last season. It was a really great feeling. Some of the players weren’t here when Leicester won the league, which was a great, great feeling, and the players who weren’t here then, we have a feeling of actually winning something.
“It’s an incredible feeling and it’s something we want to push and look forward to having that feeling again. It’s really great. It’s something we push for and we’ll see what comes out of this season.”
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