Lewis-Skelly poised to challenge for an Arsenal midfield place
Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, made 36 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal last season and now has an opportunity to press for a midfield spot with the Community Shield against Manchester City in just nine days' time.
Lewis-Skelly's ascent accelerated during the 2024-25 season when injuries opened a route into the first team and he established himself as one of the Premier League's standout young full-backs. That form led to an England call-up and, in March 2025, he became the youngest man to score on an England debut when he netted the opener in a 2-0 win against Albania at Wembley. A few months after that breakthrough he signed a new five-year contract, and his pathway traces back to joining Arsenal's Hale End academy at the age of eight.
Although he made his early impact at left-back, that is not his natural role; Lewis-Skelly developed as a midfielder and is noted for his ability to invert into midfield, protect the ball in tight spaces and burst away from opposition players. His shift into Arsenal's back four provided a platform to display those attributes, but the return to fitness of Riccardo Calafiori, signed for £42m in 2024, and the presence of Piero Hincapie—initially on loan from Bayer Leverkusen and now a permanent signing—reduced his opportunities.
Manager Mikel Arteta conceded he had been "tough" on Lewis-Skelly and, with minutes scarce, the teenager had to wait for another opening. That chance arrived as Martin Zubimendi's performances dipped late in the season; Lewis-Skelly was handed a midfield role against Fulham with four Premier League matches remaining and then started all but one game in the run-in as Arsenal secured the league title and were beaten by Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final.
The club's transfer and financial approach has added another layer to his situation. Arsenal spent about £250m on new players last summer and operate with a sustainability model that sometimes requires sales; Lewis-Skelly, an academy graduate, was noted as potential "pure profit" on the balance sheet. The player himself referenced that phrase, writing the caption "pure profit" on a picture of himself with the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park, and the club had considered listening to offers before his late-season midfield displays prompted a reassessment.
Arsenal are also reportedly close to completing the signing of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes for a fee which could be up to £80m, an addition the club acknowledge "could put a barrier in front of Lewis-Skelly's route into the first team." Despite that, the club regard his talent and history at Arsenal as reasons he remains in contention, particularly this season when several senior midfielders are delayed in rejoining the squad after the World Cup's late finish. Captain Martin Odegaard, England midfielders Declan Rice and Eberechi Eze as well as Zubimendi and Mikel Merino, who won the tournament with Spain, are all yet to join up fully with the Arsenal squad.
Lewis-Skelly has featured in pre-season, starting and impressing in friendlies against Girona and Real Betis; in the Betis game he operated as the deepest-lying midfielder, progressed the ball upfield when required and combined well with Calafiori, even covering at left-back when Calafiori pushed forward. "We just speak in the last few days about this connection that we have - we don't need to speak," Calafiori said of his partnership with Lewis-Skelly. "I really like to play with him, a really good player."
With the Community Shield against Manchester City scheduled in nine days' time, Lewis-Skelly looks set to have a chance to demonstrate why he should have been given the nod in Arsenal's midfield sooner.
