Why Arsenal Can’t Afford to Lose Lewis-Skelly

It took Arsenal less than 30 seconds to make their first impact of the 2026/27 season and Myles Lewis-Skelly was heavily involved. The 19-year-old played a wonderful pass through to Riccardo Calafiori to open the scoring in Sunday’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City and was generally impressive in the curtain-raising game.

Lewis-Skelly’s future at the Emirates Stadium has been the subject of much speculation amid recent reports that the teenager has been offered to Chelsea and Manchester United. Arsenal might have to raise funds to further strengthen their squad and Lewis-Skelly could be moved on to achieve this.

Vinicius Junior was a target before the Brazilian signed a new long-term contract to stay at Real Madrid. After missing out on Vinicius, Arsenal could enter the market again to find a new top-level left winger and that could cost a lot of money. Selling Lewis-Skelly could reportedly raise as much as £60m.

That, however, would be a mistake. Lewis-Skelly is the best youngster to come through Arsenal’s academy since Bukayo Saka and has the potential to be one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League in years to come. His performance against Manchester City on Sunday proved this.

Of course, it wasn’t so long ago that Lewis-Skelly was primarily viewed as a left back by Mikel Arteta. That’s where he was utilised during his breakthrough season in 2024/25 with the youngster’s ability on the ball the most eye-catching thing about his game. It gave Arsenal a different dimension thanks to Lewis-Skelly’s ability to tuck inside.

Over time, though, his defensive vulnerabilities start to become an issue. Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie were favoured on the left side of the defensive line as Arsenal won the Premier League title last season as Lewis-Skelly was forced to watch the majority of the first half of the campaign from the sidelines.

By the time Arsenal were closing in on the title in the final few weeks of the season, Lewis-Skelly had made his mark in the centre of the pitch. He started the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, indicating the level of trust Arteta holds in Lewis-Skelly as a central midfielder.

Arteta could have used the press conference after Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City to make a bold statement about Lewis-Skelly and his future in North London. Instead, the Arsenal boss made cryptic comments when asked for his view on the speculation around the youngster.

“[It] depends how he trains,” said Arteta in response to the notion that Lewis-Skelly could be a starting figure for the Premier League champions this season. “It depends on the position. A lot of factors, nothing else. There’s a lot of players that can play in various positions. And there’s a huge quality that we have in the squad.”

Arteta is right to highlight the squad depth Arsenal now have. Last season, they brought in Martin Zubimendi to bulk up their midfield options. This summer, they have captured Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United with the Brazilian international already established as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

It’s far from a given that Lewis-Skelly will be a first team figure for Arsenal even after his eye-catching performance in the Community Shield. This could be why the Gunners are willing to let him leave, and why the player himself might be open to a fresh start away from the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal’s youth academy is one of the most productive in the country and Lewis-Skelly is one of the best prospects to have emerged from Hale End in recent times. It’s up to the North London club to give the 19-year-old a platform to reach his potential. Lewis-Skelly is at a career crossroads.