After a disappointingly slow start to last season, Myles Lewis-Skelly bowed out in style, helping Arsenal win the Premier League and reaching the final of the Champions League.
Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal before a training session at Carlton House Hotel on August 04, 2026 in Maynooth, County Kildare, Republic Of Ireland
Myles Lewis-Skelly faces an uncertain future at Arsenal(Image: Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Lee Dixon believes Myles Lewis-Skelly needs to seek assurances from Mikel Arteta about his prospects at Arsenal. The Hale End graduate was one of the first names on the teamsheet when he burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, but he's since fallen out of favour and faces a somewhat uncertain future.
Lewis-Skelly, whose contract at the Emirates Stadium expires in June 2030, featured 36 times across all competitions last season, yet he started only 19 games; seven of which were from April onwards, too. The England international rarely played until the business end of the season, largely starring in the middle of the park.
He suddenly became a key player again for the Gunners, anchoring the midfield alongside Declan Rice in the semi-final second leg and final of the Champions League. Lewis-Skelly made a great impression and looked set to be rewarded by Mikel Arteta with greater responsibility.
But Arsenal have since forked out £75million to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, raising concerns about the teenager's role in the squad. With Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie competing for minutes at left-back, and so many midfielders battling for game time, Lewis-Skelly has been urged to pull his manager for a chat.
"At almost any other club, he'd be a starter," said Dixon, speaking to BestBettingSites on behalf of football.london. "He was brilliant when he first broke in, lost his way a little bit, and now there's that question of where he fits best.
"If I were him, I'd be having a proper one-on-one chat in Arteta's office, asking, 'How do you see me at the club? How do I develop into what you want me to be, or do I need to go elsewhere?' Because if the plans don't match up, you can spend four or five years drifting, and before you know it, you're in your mid-20s, and half your career is gone.
"He's so good at flipping into midfield when he plays left-back, and he played a couple of Champions League games toward the end of last season where he was brilliant in midfield. It's a really deep discussion they need to have together, and we'll probably see at the start of the season where he fits in."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta welcomes back his players in Marbella for pre-season preparations
Mikel Arteta and Myles Lewis-Skelly in Arsenal training earlier this summer(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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football.london understands that Chelsea and Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Lewis-Skelly. Whether or not either of the two Premier League giants decide to make a move for the Arsenal star remains to be seen, but sources say he's been on the west London outfit's radar for a while now.
It's understood that if the Gunners were to receive a good offer, higher-ups at the Emirates Stadium would find it very hard to say no. When asked whether he would swap Lewis-Skelly for Marcus Rashford, Dixon said: "Would I swap them? You know what, I probably would.
"And that's nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly; it's about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere. With Marcus Rashford, he's a player who needs an arm around his shoulder, and Arteta would be great for him.
"Give him that love, give him the freedom to play on that left side, and yeah, I'd like to see him in an Arsenal shirt. I have my reservations about whether he's consistently a top-class player, but based on what Arsenal have in the squad now, he'd be a good addition..."