Bruno Guimaraes has made Arsenal’s midfield even harder to break into, but allowing Myles Lewis-Skelly to leave now would feel premature.
Myles Lewis-Skelly being linked with a move away from Arsenal is understandable. The idea of actually losing him is much harder to accept.
Bruno Guimaraes has joined from Newcastle United at 28, with Arsenal paying a hefty £75 million for his services. He’s a proven Premier League midfielder, brought in to strengthen a title-winning side, not to quietly develop in the shadows.
Competition for places was already tough.
Declan Rice played 3,099 Premier League minutes last season and Martin Zubimendi 3,001, second and third respectively among Arsenal players behind only David Raya. Lewis-Skelly managed just 698.
Rice and Zubimendi were already difficult to dislodge at the heart of Arteta’s midfield, with Mikel Merino another experienced option and Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze operating further forward. Guimaraes only makes that pathway more crowded for the 19-year-old.
But that doesn’t mean the Gunners should be at ease with the idea of him developing his game elsewhere.
Lewis-Skelly Had Just Broken Through in Midfield
Perhaps the frustrating part is that Arsenal appeared to have found Lewis-Skelly’s route into the side only a few months ago.
His first real breakthrough came at left-back, but last season, with Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie available, his chances in that role were limited. In the end, Lewis-Skelly started just five Premier League games all year.
Then came the switch: Arteta moved him into midfield.
Lewis-Skelly caught the eye against Fulham in May, where Arteta heaped praise on the youngster, keeping his spot for the Champions League semi-final with Atletico Madrid, and starting and excelling again against West ham.
By the end of the month, Arteta handed him a start in the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
At just 19 years and 246 days, Lewis-Skelly became the second-youngest English player ever to start a Champions League final. This wasn’t a case of a youngster getting a few safe minutes after the title was wrapped up. He had earned his place in Arsenal’s midfield for the biggest game of the season.
A permanent move away just three months later would bring that progress to a sudden halt.
Bruno Guimaraes Changes the Pecking Order
There’s no real case for Lewis-Skelly to be starting ahead of Guimaraes right now.
The Gunners have invested heavily in a midfielder at his peak. Rice and Zubimendi were at the heart of last season’s title win, and now Guimaraes arrives with his own Premier League pedigree and Champions League ambitions.
Lewis-Skelly may therefore have to accept fewer starts in the short term. But is it possible to get fewer than the already limited number?
The Gunners have just come through a season where Rice and Zubimendi shouldered huge workloads. Injuries, suspensions, rotation, and four competitions will all play their part. Lewis-Skelly’s versatility is another asset Arteta has already put to good use.
There’s a big difference between having a crowded midfield in August and deciding a 19-year-old no longer fits into the long-term picture.
Guimaraes is 28. Lewis-Skelly turns 20 next month.
Two Hale End graduates feature among Europe’s leading young talents.roundtable.ioLewis-Skelly and Dowman Make European Golden Boy Top 100
Two Hale End graduates feature among Europe’s leading young talents.
Arsenal need Guimaraes right now. But there’s every chance they’ll need Lewis-Skelly for years to come.
Lewis-Skelly Still Has Value at Left-Back
Lewis-Skelly finding his way into midfield does not mean Arsenal should forget what he can offer at left-back.
Calafiori and Hincapie are the more established options there, but the Gunners have already seen how quickly that depth can disappear. Both were unavailable at the same time in January, while Hincapie also dealt with a groin problem earlier in the campaign and Calafiori suffered further fitness trouble during the run-in.
Lewis-Skelly has already shown he can step into that role when needed. He was used extensively as a defender during his initial breakthrough into the first team and continued to cover the position last season, including a left-back replacement for Calafiori against Bayern Munich in November.
He may no longer be Arteta’s first choice there, and his longer-term future could still lie in midfield. That almost makes his presence more useful rather than less.
A 19-year-old capable of competing for midfield minutes while also providing genuine cover at left-back is valuable across a long season. If injuries hit Calafiori and Hincapie again, Arsenal already know Lewis-Skelly can be moved across without asking somebody completely unfamiliar with the role to fill in.
That versatility is another reason a permanent exit would feel premature.
Hale End Should Still Be Part of Arsenal’s Future
Lewis-Skelly’s bond with Arsenal makes the idea of him leaving even harder to take.
He joined Hale End as a child, signed a new long-term contract last summer, and spoke at the time about wanting to build a “legacy” at the club. He has also repeatedly credited the academy and Per Mertesacker for helping establish the standards he carried into the first team.
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The rising star reveals how the academy chief’s mentorship instilled the elite standards and human values necessary to bridge the gap from youth prospect to Arsenal’s first team.
Coming through the academy shouldn’t guarantee anyone a place. The Gunners are aiming to stay at the top of the Premier League and chase the elusive Champions League trophy. Sentiment can’t be the deciding factor in Arteta’s midfield.
But immediate competition shouldn’t wipe away what Lewis-Skelly has already proved.
If regular football becomes out of reach, a loan must be worth considering. If Lewis-Skelly himself pushes for a permanent move, that’s a different conversation altogether. What would feel wrong is Arsenal deciding that Guimaraes’ arrival has made Lewis-Skelly expendable.
Arteta trusted him in a Champions League final at 19. Lewis-Skelly adapted when Arsenal needed him at left-back, waited for his chance in midfield, and took it when it came.
Arsenal have spent years trying to build a squad capable of sustained success rather than one good season. Players such as Guimaraes can help the Gunners stay on top and continue deliver trophies in the immediate.
But, Lewis-Skelly could help ensure the next version of that team is still recognisably Arsenal.