Mikel Arteta plans to change Arsenal star's position next season
Today at 08:21 AM
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s increasing seniority will be recognised next season with opportunities to impress in his favoured central midfield role.
Arsenal’s latest Hale End Academy graduate has made a significant breakthrough in recent months and enhanced his burgeoning reputation with a superb display in last night’s north London derby win over Tottenham.
Injuries to the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Kieran Tierney and summer signing Riccardo Calafiori left Arteta with a huge potential headache at left-back.
Lewis-Skelly has, however, provided a homegrown solution and adapted to the role so impressively that he now appears to have leapfrogged Calafiori in Arteta’s pecking order.
While the teenager has made light of the demands Arteta places on his full-backs, Lewis-Skelly is nominally a midfielder and is expected to be given chances to prove his worth in that role in the first team, according to MailSport.
Arsenal’s engine room is set to undergo something of a makeover in the summer with both Thomas Partey and Jorginho expected to depart.
Declan Rice and Mikel Merino are set to be joined by Martin Zubimendi with Arsenal understood to be close to agreeing a deal with Real Sociedad for the Spain international.
Moving Lewis-Skelly into his natural position would give Arteta more options in midfield and potentially free up budget to make the attacking signings he is likely to make in the summer.
For now, however, Lewis-Skelly is more than happy just to be an increasingly influential part of a squad that, despite a recent wobble, is still in contention to win the Premier League and Champions League this season.
Speaking after last night’s comeback victory against Spurs, he said: ‘I'm feeling every emotion possible; I'm on cloud nine!
‘I was a kid watching the derbies and know how much it means to the fans, it's everything. To experience it today, I can't stop smiling.
‘This game means more. I prepare the same, but it's the feeling going into the game with the fans. You've got to give it everything and more.
‘I'm happy I helped the team. The most important thing was getting the three points, building momentum and I'm happy with how I played.’
He added: ‘You feel some kind of momentum not on your side, and sometimes we have it.
‘But it's important that as a team we stay together, and we hold each other accountable in these moments.
‘We just had to hang on and make sure that we keep doing our basics well, keep communicating. We needed the fans in the last moments and they did that, so we're grateful.
‘We're buzzing now, ready to go on and kick on now so good team morale. Thank you to Mikel for giving me the chance again, so I'm grateful. Onto the next one!’
Lewis-Skelly looks likely to feature against Villa on Saturday having impressed not only his manager, but also his teammate Rice.
'The young boy Myles again is just unbelievable, for 18 what he showed tonight is just ridiculous,' Rice told TNT Sports after Arsenal's win.
'It's scary, the 18-year-olds now have got no fear, they've got no fear whatsoever.
'I think there were four or five times in the second half, he's got that Moussa Dembele trait, he uses his body to get away from stuff. Sometimes, yeah, it's risky but to show that at 18 and the personality and character, honestly, it's unbelievable.
'Do you know what as well, I'm going to mention them because they're Spurs players but Archie Gray and [Lucas] Bergvall, they're both 18 as well and they're playing week in, week out, Mikey Moore, there's guys in the Prem now who are playing and they are younger and younger and they've got no fear, it's so good to see.'
