According to reports, Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles is very keen on joining Premier League title contenders Leicester City on loan until the end of the season.
Maitland-Niles has been heavily linked with a possible move to West Brom, Southampton or Wolves on loan this month, due to being given little to no game time under Mikel Arteta, and he has very rarely featured in his preferred position in midfield, often being deployed as a full-back.
The versatile 23-year-old is reportedly keen on moving to Leicester, with The Athletic's David Ornstein claiming that they have shown plenty of interest in the Englishman.
Leicester would be the midfielder's preferred destination, yet West Brom and Southampton in particular are also interested, with Wolves also retaining their interest from the summer.
Ornstein also reported that the Foxes might be the only club proposing an "option to buy, which might appeal" to Arsenal even more.
Leicester have suffered plenty of injuries that have left them depleted in midfield, leading to their interest in Maitland-Niles.
However, the only stumbling block for the Foxes might be that Arsenal might view Leicester as direct rivals for European football, discouraging them from sending him out on loan there.
Making a move to the King Power Stadium would mean that Maitland-Niles would play in his much more preferred role in midfield, with The Athletic adding that "The chance to occupy his favoured position and challenge towards the summit of the table would hold the strongest appeal for the England international and if that does not happen he may be inclined to fight for his place in North London, rather than move elsewhere."
Maitland-Niles has started just 13 of the 21 games that he has played in all competitions for Arsenal, and he has played a large number of his games at either left-back or right-back.
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