Roma signed Ainsley Maitland-Niles on loan from Arsenal in January to address their depth problems on the flanks. However, he has not had the impact they were hoping for. The Englishman has logged just six appearances for a total of 433 minutes. His playing time has dwindled after getting a few starts right off the bat.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Giallorossi believed the newcomer would have been a valuable contributor especially on the left wing. Instead, his performances have left a lot to be desired, in particular on the defensive end. He has not played in the last two matches, as José Mourinho picked youngster Nicola Zalewski to shake things up.
Maitland-Niles has fared better while filling in on the right flank, but not so well to unseat Rick Karsdorp, who has remained the starter for Roma in such role. The Giallorossi did not obtain an option to buy in the talks with Arsenal. Such aspect and his subpar displays make it far-fetched that his stay will continue past the current season.
On top of Maitland-Niles, Roma are also mulling over Matias Vina in the same position. He was benched in four of the last six matches and did not even feature twice. The matter is trickier in his case because the club spent €13M for him last summer. His departure could be in the cards if he did not bounce back. It would take a decent offer, though, as the Giallorossi would look to recoup most of their investment.