Sheffield United face competition in transfer ‘race’ for ex-Arsenal man despite obvious appeal

The 25-year-old was one of 10 players who left the Emirates this summer after the expiry of their contracts, with United amongst a host of clubs to be linked with a free transfer move ahead of their return to the Premier League next season.

United and Luton Town are said to be well in the hunt for the player in a report from Sky Sports, who also claim Benfica, Werder Bremen, Galatasaray and Trabzonspor are also interested - as well as rumoured, and lucrative, interest from three clubs in Saudi Arabia, as Maitland-Niles looks to kickstart his faltering career.

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The attraction is clear, as a player who was highly-rated at Arsenal and good enough to play for his country. Maitland-Niles’ versatility would also be a useful weapon for the Blades as they look to construct a Premier League-capable squad on a limited budget. The former Gunner is capable of playing in either wing-back position as well as midfield and out wide, which could offer Paul Heckingbottom valuable tactical flexibility going into the new season.

Heckingbottom admitted recently, when asked about reported interest in ex-Manchester United man Axel Tuanzebe, that United “know every free transfer on the planet” and so Maitland-Niles is also likely to have come under consideration. If so, and the player is initially receptive, then Heckingbottom’s ‘pitch’ to the player could prove crucial. The United manager backs himself to ‘sell’ the Blades to any player he can get in front of and if they don’t respond positively to what he has to say, then they wouldn’t have been the right fit for United anyway.

A player sometimes hindered by his versatility rather than helped, Maitland-Niles may be seduced by the prospect of playing regular top-flight football in one position rather than filling in as and where required. He played 22 times in the league last season on loan at Southampton as they were relegated to the Championship and is seeking a fresh start after being at Arsenal since the age of six.