Sky Sports journalist says player Arsenal released will now join Lacazette in Lyon

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Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been without a club since Arsenal released him, but it looks like he’s off to Olympique Lyon to reunite with fellow Gunners old-boy Alexandre Lacazette.

When Mikel Arteta took charge of Arsenal back in 2019, both Lacazette and Maitland-Niles were key parts of his squad. Both players started in the FA Cup final in 2020 and played a huge role in helping the Spaniard win his first trophy as a manager.

Now, Lacazette and Maitland-Niles are set to join forces again, this time in Lyon. That’s according to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas’ latest update on X/Twitter.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles set to join Lyon after Arsenal exit

Back in 2020, when Arsenal had an amazing run in the FA Cup, Ainsley Maitland-Niles was incredible.

He played as a left-wing-back in the semi-final against Manchester City and in the final against Chelsea, and everyone believed he would become a star under Arteta at Arsenal.

However, Maitland-Niles later decided that he has no interest in playing as a full-back or a wing-back. His dream was to play in central midfield, and that forced Arsenal to loan him out to West Bromwich Albion in January 2021.

The 25-year-old’s career has gone downhill since. He spent a disappointing six months in Roma and then spent last season at Southampton.

In June, Arsenal announced they will not be extending his contract, and on the first day of last month, Maitland-Niles was officially released and he became a free agent.

Now, the Englishman has a golden opportunity to relaunch his career. Sky journalist Thomas says he’s set to join Lyon after agreeing terms with the French giants. A medical has been scheduled to take place early next week.

He tweeted: “Ainsley Maitland-Niles getting ready to travel to Lyon for a medical early this coming week after agreeing terms in principle on a four-year deal with the French club”

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Alexandre Lacazette is a great example to follow for Maitland-Niles.

The Frenchman looked well past his best in his final two years at Arsenal. He received a ton of criticism in that period, and as they’ve done with Maitland-Niles, the Gunners released Lacazette.

The striker returned to Lyon and silenced all the critics. He finished last season as the second-highest goalscorer in the Ligue 1 with 27 goals – just two behind PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Maitland-Niles will definitely not score that many goals next season, but a move to Lyon definitely gives him the opportunity to revive his career.