Ainsley Maitland-Niles is joining Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham as English members of Jose Mourinho’s Roma squad, reports AP.
Maitland-Niles completed a loan deal from Arsenal through the end of the season, Roma announced on Saturday.
Maitland-Niles is a utility player – he can play at full back or anywhere across the midfield – who has never established himself in the senior team at Arsenal, where he has been since the age of 6.
He went on loan to West Bromwich Albion last season but was unable to help the team avoid relegation to the second-tier Championship.
After failing to secure a move away from Arsenal in the summer transfer window, the 24-year-old Maitland-Niles took to Instagram to write: “All i wanna do is go where I’m wanted and where I’m gonna play.”
Roma general manager Tiago Pinto said Maitland-Niles “fits well with the profile we were looking for to improve the squad and cover a number of different positions.
“We were really struck by his enthusiasm about the prospect of joining our group and having the chance to work with Jose Mourinho.”
Smalling, a center back, joined Roma from Manchester United in 2019 and Abraham, a striker, signed on in August.
With defenders Rick Karsdorp and Gianluca Mancini suspended, Maitland-Niles could make his debut for Roma against Juventus on Sunday.
Source: Bahrain News Agency