Ainsley Maitland-Niles has claimed he doesn’t speak to his Arsenal teammates about their ongoing Premier League title charge. The Hale End academy graduate is currently on loan at Southampton, who sit bottom of the table whilst the Gunners are top of the pile, something that the versatile defender has said he doesn’t speak about with the likes of Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles said: “We don’t speak about what is happening at each others’ teams. It’s more like, ‘Hi, are you good? Hope you’re well and I’ll see you soon’. I’m just staying focused because I’m trying to help the team and get us out of this relegation battle.”
The 25-year-old also compared Mikel Arteta to current Saints boss Ruben Selles.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles added: “The way he lives and breathes football and looks at the game is second to none, like Arteta. Maybe that’s the Spanish mentality, the love of football they have. He’s a very straightforward person. He tells you what he wants and needs. From day one, This is the way we are going to move forward. This is what I want everyone to do’. Everyone has jumped on board and is happy to do ten times what he is asking for. You can see that in recent performances.”
