The turnaround of Myles Lewis-Skelly at Arsenal has been rather remarkable.
It was not along ago that rumours were rife about his future. Manchester United were even being linked with a move for the Gunners wonderkid.
Selling up, however, would feel like treason against this great club. For what he's shown in recent weeks, he simply has no business being sold.
Lewis-Skelly-Arsenal
The teenager has spent a lot of time in the wildnerness this campaign but has returned to the starting XI over the last three matches and made a mighty impact. Mikel Arteta is understandably delighted.
That said, it may not stop Arsenal from targeting a new midfielder.
Arsenal line up move for big-money midfielder
Last summer, one of Andrea Berta's key challenges was to bring in two players to replace the departing Thomas Partey and Jorginho.
In Martin Zubimendi he had replaced Partey and with Christian Norgaard, he replaced Jorginho as the fringe asset. Their arrivals, however, have been called into question as we reach the business stage of the season.
Martin-Zubimendi-Arsenal
Norgaard has barely kicked a ball all campaign long, featuring for just 56 minutes in the Premier League. Zubimendi, on the other hand, has been the opposite. Only one outfield player, Declan Rice, has played more minutes (4,246) this season than the Spaniard's 4,178. He looks knackered and it is hardly a surprise Lewis-Skelly has come in and immediately offered more energy from central areas.
The future of the midfield, as a result, looks rather unclear. Norgaard will likely leave which could free up room for a new recruit.
Minutes played at Arsenal in 2025/26
Player
1) David Raya
2) Declan Rice
3) Martin Zubimendi
4) William Saliba
5) Gabriel Magalhaes
6) Viktor Gyokeres
According to Caught Offside, that player could be Viktor Gyokeres' former teammate at Sporting, Morten Hjulmand. Both Arsenal and Man United are said to be interested in the Dane.
In fact, they would appear to be particularly keen on the 26-year-old with both parties having held initial talks with Sporting to understand his current situation.
morten-hjulmand-sporting
Hjulmand has a release clause of £70m at the Portuguese club but it's thought Arsenal and United could prise him away for around £52m instead.
Why Hjulmand could replace Lewis-Skelly in Arsenal's midfield
What a period of time this has been for young Lewis-Skelly.
Before that clash with Fulham, his Arsenal career looked to be wilting away. He had been left out of the last few England squads and all hopes of making Thomas Tuchel's party for the World Cup appeared to be slim.
Lewis-Skelly-Odegaard-Arsenal
Yet, he has burst back into contention with a series of performances that have issued a timely reminder; this is one of the finest young players in European football.
Considering the level of performance the teenager delivered last season, scoring against City, netting on his England debut and dominating Real Madrid in the Champions League, it is easy to forget he is still only 19 years of age.
He is a mature head on young shoulders and has demonstrated as much with his recent showings. Against Fulham, he dropped a captivating performance. It was made all the more impressive by the fact it was only his second Premier League start in the last 17 fixtures.
Since then, he's been undroppable, starting against Altetico and then again against West Ham last weekend.
All of a sudden, he looks like the best partner for Rice but Hjulmand could put an end to that. This is no Norgaard-type signing, this is a player who would be coming to play regular first-team football.
morten-hjulmand-sporting
Hailed as one of "the best midfielders in the world" by Como scout Ben Mattinson, he outlines the Dane's best qualities by saying "[Hjulmand has a] very balanced profile. He is a press resistant playmaker, tenacious, physical and a secure passer."
We all know Arteta loves a duel winner and that's precisely what Hjulmand could offer to the Arsenal team. The 26-year-old is one of the best around when it comes to that.
Compared to positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues, the 26-yaer-old ranks among the top 6% for defensive ground duels won with 2.79 per 90 minutes. He also makes 3.45 tackles and interceptions per 90, ranking him in the best 12% of midfielders for that metric.
Not just a duel winner, the Sporting star progresses play excellently well. Below, we can see Hjulmand in green and Declan Rice in purple. They are alike for chance creation but the former comes out on top for passing the ball forward. Rice, on the other hand, is better at carrying the ball via dribbles. That sounds like a pretty fearsome combination, doesn't it?
Hjulmand vs RiceGraph courtesy of Scout Lab.
Lewis-Skelly's recent return to form has been a joy but Arsenal cannot stand still. They need better competition for Zubimendi and they could well secure that in the monstrous Hjulmand.
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