Lewis-Skelly's push to start in midfield for Arsenal

Myles Lewis-Skelly, a 19-year-old talented footballer, has been on a remarkable journey to break into Arsenal's first team. Although his natural position is as a midfielder, he took advantage of the injury crisis in the squad during the 2024-25 season to excel as a left-back, earning a place in the England national team and scoring his first England goal in a 2-0 victory against Albania at Wembley.

His impressive performance led to a new five-year contract with the club. However, last season presented a tougher challenge for Lewis-Skelly, as the arrival of Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Arteta's loan signing of Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen reduced his playing time. Arteta expressed his tough love, but Lewis-Skelly was eventually given a chance to showcase his midfield skills against Fulham in the final games of the season.

His outstanding performance earned him a starting position for most of the remaining season, contributing to Arsenal's Premier League title win. Despite the financial implications of selling an academy graduate, Lewis-Skelly remains a valuable asset to the club, and his history with Arsenal and his bond with the fans make him a fan favorite.

His potential move to a more lucrative club could hinder his progression, but as Arsenal nears the signing of Bruno Guimaraes for a fee up to £80m, Lewis-Skelly's position in the team might strengthen, especially with key players like Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino still recovering from the World Cup. Lewis-Skelly is optimistic about getting the nod as the team's starting midfielder and is focused on proving his worth in pre-season friendlies.