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Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles is closing in on a January switch to Serie A.
He is wanted on loan by Roma for the rest of the season, with the deal including an option to buy at the end of it.
The player is reported to be open to the idea, and now what needs to be negotiated are the loan fee, plus the final price to be paid if the Serie A decide to exercise that option.
Maitland-Niles came close to joining Everton in the summer, but that move fell through at the last minute. The 24-year-old has made several appearances in his preferred position of midfield this campaign but has not featured in recent squads because of illness, although the Gunners willingness to let him go at this stage of the season is a clear indication that his Emirates career is now in its final days.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.