Olympique Lyonnais has acquired the versatile English midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles (25 years old). The French club announced the news on Monday through an official statement on its website.
“Olympique Lyonnais informs of the arrival of English international Ainsley Maitland-Niles for 4 seasons. The former Arsenal midfielder, who was a free agent, has committed to the club until June 30, 2027,” reads the Lyon publication.
A significant reinforcement for OL, who will especially benefit from the versatility of their new player. Indeed, the 25-year-old has played in six different positions with Southampton, the club he played for last season. He was used as a right-back and left-back, defensive and offensive midfielder, as well as on the wings by the Saints.
Born in London in 1997, Ainsley Maitland-Niles joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of 6, where he showcased remarkable performances at all youth levels. He made his debut for the first team on December 9, 2014, in a Champions League match against Galatasaray.
During the 2015/2016 season, he was loaned to Ipswich, where he played 32 matches in the Championship, before returning to Arsenal. Becoming an English international and winning the U20 World Cup with England in 2017, Ainsley Maitland-Niles successfully delivered performances with the Gunners and earned his first call-ups for the “Three Lions” national team.
He was subsequently loaned to West Bromwich Albion (2021), then to AS Roma (2022), where he won the Conference League, and finally to Southampton last year. Throughout his journey, he wore the Arsenal jersey 132 times and excelled, winning four major trophies: two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
“I am very happy to sign here. If someone had told me at the age of 6 that I would one day be at Olympique Lyonnais, I would have never been able to imagine it! I absolutely had to seize this opportunity. My favorite position? Midfield. I hope to establish myself in this position, but I am ready to work anywhere to help the team,” said the English player in the statement released by OL.
