Arsenal midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles will not start ahead of the likes of Youri Tielemans and Wilfred Ndidi at the King Power, former Leicester City defender Steve Howey has told The Transfer Tavern.

After a loan spell with West Brom last season, Maitland-Niles could again be heading for the Emirates exit door.

According to The Sun, Leicester, Southampton and Burnley are all interested in signing the 23-year-old in this transfer window.

Out of the Premier League trio, Leicester look like the most attractive destination, with the Foxes playing in Europe and proving they can compete for trophies following their FA Cup triumph back in May.

Howey has warned, though, that Maitland-Niles will struggle for game time at the King Power if he is looking to play in midfield.

"I mean, he obviously started off at Arsenal as kind of a full-back," the ex-Leicester man said. "Big Sam brought him in at West Brom; ultimately, it didn't pay off because they got relegated.

"I think he's a decent player, but he's not getting ahead of Ndidi and Tielemans."

Tielemans and Ndidi, when fit, were two of Leicester's best players last season. Only James Maddison produced more key passes per league game than Tielemans, while no one in Brendan Rodgers' squad managed to win more tackles on average than Ndidi (via WhoScored).

Taking that into account, it is hard to see where Maitland-Niles would fit if he does want a regular midfield role.