Back in April, Arsenal loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles publicly confirmed he’s set to leave the club this summer.
Though the Gunners are yet to officially post about the departure, Maitland-Niles was reportedly invited back to say his goodbyes, according to James McNicholas on the Arsecast.
“Ainsley Maitland-Niles, it’s done,” McNicholas said (via TBR). “I believe he was actually invited to the club to say his farewells towards the end of the season, that was a nice touch for a guy who’s been with us for a very long time.”
We’ll get official confirmation of the departure soon enough, when the Premier League publish all of their retained and released lists.
Last year, the lists were published on June 10th, so it shouldn’t be long now.
Individual clubs can choose to publish their lists sooner if they want to, with Nottingham Forest already having done so, for example. But Arsenal haven’t done so yet.
In his conversation with The Athletic in April, Maitland-Niles reflected on his time at Arsenal and said: “It’s been a great journey but it has come to an end now (at Arsenal).
“It’s time for a fresh start and to find a new home.”
He also expressed his satisfaction with Southampton, stating: “Southampton is a great club to be at and progress and get some minutes under my belt. Of course, if they were to make an offer, I’ll be more than happy to stay.”
At the time, Southampton were very likely to be relegated, but it hadn’t yet been confirmed.
It’s not yet certain how their relegation might have affected the possibility of an extended stay for Maitland-Niles, but reports suggest it hasn’t helped.
It’s nice that Maitland-Niles had the opportunity to say goodbye to Arsenal, after such a long spell with the club, coming up through the academy and into the first team.
Now available on a free transfer, the hope is that he can find a good move ahead of next season.
