Italian football club AS Roma are said to be closing in on a loan move for Arsenal utility player Ainsley Maitland-Niles with an option to buy him at the end of the loan deal.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that a deal would have been wrapped up for the Englishman if not for the €5m difference in valuation between the two clubs. It has already been agreed that Roma will pay a loan fee of €750,000 for Ainsley Maitland-Niles to join them on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season. North London giants Arsenal want €15m to make the deal permanent at the end of this season, while Italian football capital club Roma are prepared to pay €10m for him at the end of his loan deal at the club.
Ainsley Maitland-Nilesmissed the Norwich City game on Boxing Day after he tested positive for Covid-19 alongside some other teammates. Other Arsenal players such as Takehiro Tomiyasu andCedric Soares also missed the game against the Canaries due toCovid-19. Without the three players with Covid-19, Arsenal made it five wins in a row with an emphatic 5-0 victory over the Canaries. Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney scored in the first half to secure a 2-0 at the interval before Saka added his second goal in the second half before an Alexandre Lacazette penalty and a close range strike from substitute Emile Smith-Rowe in the closing stages wrapped up a big win.
Maitland-Niles has recovered fromthe virus and he’s presently waiting for greenlight from Arsenal for him to join Roma.