Former Arsenal star Ainsley Maitland-Niles is now Olympique Lyon player, having completed a move to the French side this summer.
The England international has signed a four-year contract with Olympique Lyon till 2026 and will hope to breath life back to his career after the Premier League deadlock.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles did not have an impressive career with Arsenal. The defensive midfielder, who rose through the ranks in England and Arsenal youth system, saw his career mangled after he broke into Arsenal first team in 2014.
Wearing the red and whites shirt of the London club, Ainsley Maitland-Niles spent almost a decade at Arsenal but managed only 72 Premier League appearances for the club.
His highest Premier League appearance tally for the Gunners was in 2019/20 season when he made 20 appearances for the club.
He has spent a huge chunk of his spell with Arsenal on loan with various clubs. He was loaned to Ipswich Town in 2015, West Bromwich Albion in 2021, Roma and Southampton in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
In 2021, Maitland-Niles publicly expressed his desire to leave Arsenal and go where he was wanted following his struggles to break into the team’s lineup.
With his contract coming to an end this summer, the 25-year-old was linked with an exit from the club. He made no single appearance for Arsenal last season as he ran down his Arsenal contract on loan spells to Roma and Southampton.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles recent travails is a stark contrast to his early career trails in English football.
The England footballer rose through the ranks in English football playing as a defensive midfielder and right back for England youth teams. He made 3 appearances for England U-17 and scored on his debut for England U18 and U19 levels.
He also scored for England U20, won FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017 and was called up for England U-21, where he made 4 appearances before being called up by Gareth Southgate to England senior national team in 2020.
Former Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, heaped praises on Maitland-Niles in 2017, hailing his versatility and quick recovery runs.
Maitland-Niles’ Arsenal struggle started since Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery’s era. Under Mikel Arteta, the English star made his highest Premier League appearance for the club but soon dropped down the pecking order in Arteta’s second and third year as Arsenal manager.
Arteta was ready to let him leave on a free transfer this summer with his dwindling fortunes in Mikel Arteta Arsenals’ squad setup.
His move will see him reunite with his former teammate at Arsenal, Alexandre Lacazette, who joined the club from Arsenal last summer.
According to L’Equipe, Maitland-Niles will be deployed as defensive midfielder as the French Ligue 1 giants prepare to kickoff their 2023/24 Ligue 1 campaign.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles salary
Ainsley Maitland-Niles Olympique Lyon is yet to be disclosed. At Arsenal he earned $45,000 weekly and $32,000 weekly while on loan at Roma.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles Instagram
Ainsley Maitland-Niles has 460k followers on social media where he regular posts his trails career and other aspects of his private life.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles wife
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is in a relationship with English blonde beauty, Katya. It is not clear when they started dating but the pair got married in 2022. They have a baby girl and a boy together.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles mum Jules Niles
Ainsley Maitland-Niles mother is Jules Niles. In 2018, reports emerged Jules Niles mum was homeless on the streets of London while Ainsley Maitland-Niles was earning £45,000 weekly at Arsenal. Futballnews reported Ainsley Maitland-Niles had a feud with his mother in his football career leading to the faceoff between the two. Click here to read more about the feud that separated the former Arsenal star and his mother.
