Newly-promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest have targeted a move for Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles this summer, according to a report.
The 24-year-old featured in just eight league appearances for the Gunners during the first half of the 2021-22 campaign, before he was sent out on loan to Jose Mourinho's Roma in January.
The versatile Englishman would go on to feature in just 11 appearances for the Serie A outfit across all competitions however, and now returns to Arsenal ahead of pre-season for the upcoming 2022-23 season.
Maitland-Niles enters the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium this summer, leaving Mikel Arteta's side with the potential of losing him on a free transfer in June 2023.
With that in mind, the Mirror are reporting that Steve Cooper's Forest are interested in taking Maitland-Niles to the City Ground during the transfer window, which officially opened in England on Friday.
The report suggests that Arsenal will be ready to sell the academy product due to his current contract situation, who is well known to Cooper following their spells in the England youth sides.
Maitland-Niles has often made it clear that he wishes to be utilised in his preferred central midfield role, but has often been selected as a wing-back on either side of the pitch for both Arsenal and England during his career so far.
Matthew Tranter
