Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly must stay and fight for minutes after a transformative season culmination
Myles Lewis-Skelly has been the subject of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United after impressive end to the season with Arsenal
Myles Lewis-Skelly has been the subject of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United after impressive end to the season with Arsenal(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
View Image
The idea of Myles Lewis-Skelly leaving Arsenal to join Manchester United or Chelsea is something that bothers me a lot. football.london broke the exclusive story on Tuesday morning that Chelsea had been approached over their interest in the 19-year-old.
Arsenal have been crowned Premier League champions, and the following summer they sell one of their most talented young players to their rivals? I think fans are right to question such a decision if indeed it comes to pass.
It is not yet clear, despite reports elsewhere of intermediary involvement, where the approach to Chelsea was made from. Sky Sports have since reported that Arsenal’s position is that they would not want to sell to a “local rival” after the Blues followed up with an enquiry.
What that means for further interest from Manchester United is another question worth asking. Mikel Arteta will speak with the media following the friendly with Como on Wednesday and will likely be asked about the topic.
For now, any deal would be some way away, thankfully, and Arteta has been exceptionally praising of the player at the end of the previous season. Lewis-Skelly stepped up into the midfield and was even given the nod to start the UEFA Champions League final.
Despite defeat, the youngster did not look at all out of place against some of the best players in the world, and in the biggest club match there is on the planet. Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival at Arsenal does create further competition for Lewis-Skelly.
Last season, Arteta admitted that when it became clear he wouldn’t be a regular starter with Riccardo Calafiori present and the arrival of Piero Hincapie he went through some “emotions.”
He said, “He's exceptional. Everybody's talking about him. He goes to the national team, he comes back from pre-season, and then he starts to realise that maybe he's not going to be a starter. You need to go through those emotions.
“Not only you, but the people next to you as well, who are giving you advice. You have to navigate through that, and that's not easy. I understand that.
Get YOUR Arsenal Newsletter
“It's easy when it goes so well for you, but when it goes the other way, the temptation is going to start to point to people. I need to understand that, and I need to guide him, and I need to give him my perspective, the reasons why he wasn't playing that much.
“And he took it on board, not the first one. After three or four times, I think he realised, okay, I think if it’s not this way, I don't think it's going to happen.”
Lewis-Skelly has not been questioned in any setting so far as to his view on his current standing. But so far, there is nothing to suggest he does not want to fight for his place in the squad and I would not be surprised if his position was that he wants to remain at a club he has such affection for.
What I watched at the end of last season was a player who had taken his career by the scruff of the neck and transformed it. Taking on a role in the team he’d never played at such a high level and flourished.
The last two seasons have taught us Arteta needs options. Lewis-Skelly is an excellent one, and I sincerely hope he remains in North London.