Myles Lewis-Skelly Has Played His Way Into a Career Crossroads
“Maybe I should have done it earlier,” Mikel Arteta pondered in May after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s starring showing in Arsenal’s midfield during a 3–0 win over Fulham.
It had taken the Gunners manager a total of 19 months to decide to play the academy graduate in the position in which he had established himself as one of the premier talents in all of youth soccer, with those that had followed his development surprised by nothing other than how long Arteta needed to see the facts.
Just a few matches later and the world has now opened its eyes to Lewis-Skelly’s potential as a midfielder. His assist for Arsenal’s opening goal in the 3–0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City was sublime—the sort of thing you would usually expect of players far older and more experienced. That’s just what Lewis-Skelly does.
What is clear now is that, even in this modern world in which fullbacks are midfielders and buzzwords are the currency of the tacticos, Lewis-Skelly’s future simply has to be in the heart of the pitch. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old, that is both a blessing and a curse.
The Conundrum Facing Lewis-Skelly
Lewis-Skelly’s breakthrough into senior soccer was always seen as a case of when, rather than if.
Since joining Arsenal’s academy at the age of 8, Lewis-Skelly wasted little time proving he was one of the best youngsters kicking about in England. He was often overshadowed by the precocious talents of close friend Ethan Nwaneri, whose ceiling appeared higher but more uncertain, but those with eyes on Lewis-Skelly’s development have long agreed that a career at the highest level was effectively guaranteed.
Those in Arsenal’s Hale End academy setup did a marvelous job of preparing Lewis-Skelly for the senior game, so much so that Arteta could no longer ignore the teenager in September 2024. The boss was, however, facing a similar problem to the one in front of him today.
All those months ago, Arsenal had no need for another midfielder. Declan Rice had joined for $137.5 million (£105 million) one year earlier and Mikel Merino arrived a matter of weeks before Lewis-Skelly’s debut to fill out a midfield unit that also included club captain Martin Ødegaard and Thomas Partey.
As a result, Lewis-Skelly was transformed into a left back, tasked with filling a position that was largely unfamiliar to him aside from a handful of emergency appearances at youth level. He performed admirably but eventually managed to prove to Arteta that he deserves a run-out in his favored midfield role.
“Honestly, I was buzzing,” Lewis-Skelly said of his return to midfield in May. “Being back in that midfield, getting the trust from the gaffer and the players again, just allows me to play my game and play it simple but also be effective.”
With Lewis-Skelly now seen as a midfielder again, he finds himself locked in an immense battle for minutes in an Arsenal unit that is even more crowded than it was before.
Martín Zubimendi was last summer’s blockbuster addition, while Bruno Guimarães made the jump from Newcastle United this year. Both players are, alongside Merino, fighting for the one spot alongside Rice at the base of Arteta’s midfield that is also in the sights of Lewis-Skelly after shaking off his reputation as a left back.
Lewis-Skelly wants to succeed at Arsenal, but must now decide if he is prepared to risk losing the battle for midfield minutes at the Emirates—particularly as the left back spot in which he broke through is now dominated by Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié.
Should Lewis-Skelly Stay or Go?
Recent reports have suggested Chelsea and Manchester United have both been offered the chance to land Lewis-Skelly as part of their ongoing searches for midfield reinforcements. He spent time at Chelsea’s Cobham academy before his switch across London.
Minutes elsewhere appear more guaranteed, particularly if Lewis-Skelly becomes the sort of big-money player he is competing with at Arsenal, but would perhaps not mean as much as representing the team to which he has given the last 11 years of his life.
Arsenal clearly do not want to lose Lewis-Skelly either, but the teenager will have watched Nwaneri stumble into this same dilemma last season.
Nwaneri, five months Lewis-Skelly’s junior, was a dazzling attacking midfielder at youth level but was shoehorned into right wing under Arteta as he operated as cover for Bukayo Saka. Ultimately, he was lost in the shuffle, spending six months on the sidelines and another six on loan with Marseille before heading for another as-yet-undetermined exit this summer.
Lewis-Skelly will hope to avoid falling into the same uncertainty, even if remaining at Arsenal would appear to be the most challenging move on paper. The risks are higher, but lifting trophies with his boyhood side may be sweet enough to take the gamble.
