Arsenal youngster Maitland-Niles signs new contract

England Under-21 midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, the club have announced.

The promising 20-year-old is a product of the club’s academy and enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Emirates Stadium during the last campaign.

While former boss Arsene Wenger utilised Maitland-Niles mainly as cover at full-back, he still went on to make 28 appearances for the club.

With the Gunners in the Europa League last season, Wenger used the competition to blood a number of highly-rated youngsters.

While the likes of Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah also tasted first-team action it was Maitland-Niles who arguably impressed the most.

After being part of the England Under-20s team to win the World Cup in South Korea last summer, signing a new deal at Arsenal is the culmination of a big year for Maitland-Niles.

He enjoyed a loan spell at Ipswich town during the 2015/16 season and it now remains to be seen how much first-team football he will see under new Arsenal head coach Unai Emery.