'I know him well' – Mourinho familiar with Roma target Maitland-Niles

Serie A side

have been working hard to finalize a loan deal for

, according to a report published last week by

.

In a news conference on Wednesday,

Mourinho

was questioned about the Englishman, who is on the verge of signing a contract with the club.

"I don't feel comfortable talking about him, because nobody has officially told me that he is our player,"

Mourinho said, via Football Italia

.

"He grew up at Arsenal when I was at Chelsea and Tottenham, so I know him well. Everyone knows our transfer market profile, we cannot afford to spend the sums Atalanta and Fiorentina are shelling out in January, so we must seek one or two players on loan to improve the balance of the squad.

"For example, Rick Karsdorp always played and we didn't have any alternatives when he was suspended against Inter, so we completely lost our way. If a player arrives for that role, we can breathe a little easier.

"The window runs to the end of the month, so if someone else arrives too, that's even better."

In search of a first-team spot in his favorite central midfield position, Maitland-Niles has come extremely close to leaving Arsenal many times in the past.

and

both turned down offers to sign him permanently in the summer, and he spent the second part of the season on loan with

.

However, he has made a few appearances for Mikel Arteta's Arsenal this season. The club is now willing to loan him out on a short-term basis.

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