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Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly may have been given the clearest indication yet over his future.
The Hale End academy graduate burst into Arsenal's first team last season as a left-back during an injury crisis that saw Riccardo Calafiori, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney all sidelined, going on to win his first England caps under Thomas Tuchel.
Myles Lewis-Skelly given indication over his Arsenal future by transfer move that Mikel Arteta is pursuing
Lewis-Skelly played primarily as a midfielder at youth level, but only started his first game as a no.8 at the weekend, as the Gunners battered Fulham – with manager Mikel Arteta claiming he hadn't played him there before because he doesn't “have a clue”.
“Maybe I should have done it earlier,” the Basque boss admitted in his post-match presser, adding, “I have to do things when I believe that the player is ready, the team is ready and the opponent is the right one to play with him in that position.”
Lewis-Skelly appears to have lost his place as a left-back in N5, with both Calafiori and Piero Hincapie preferred in that position – and now, reports from Germany suggest that he may have even more of a struggle to hold down a spot as an inverted full-back under Arteta.
Sky Germany have noted that Arsenal are still interested in Victor Valdepenas of Real Madrid, with a long-standing interest in the teenager still strong despite competition from Eintracht Frankfurt having already made a move.
In a scout report in January, FourFourTwo described the young Spaniard as a “Calafiori-type defender” who is “able to use his pace and physical prowess in a defensive duel or bombing up the pitch” – and with Valdepenas able to play either as a centre-back or a left-back, the youngster could well act as cover for Gabriel, as well.
This would indicate that Lewis-Skelly's future lies purely as a midfielder, with a recent tactical shift seeing Declan Rice move deeper to no.6.
The youngster could well be fighting the likes of Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino for a place in the starting XI to the left of Rice (or Christian Norgaard) in defensive midfield, with Eberechi Eze, Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri all options as no.10s.
FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal are interested in another midfielder this summer, with the likes of Sandro Tonali and Ayyoub Bouaddi having been linked in recent weeks, and Lewis-Skelly's status as a homegrown academy talent providing the easiest opportunity for a quick sale.
But with Norgaard having featured so sporadically this season, Merino coming off the back of injury, and Odegaard having struggled for consistent starts this season, it may well be that the Gunners stick with the star as depth – especially given Calafiori's injury issues and a bedding-in period that Valdepenas may face, should he join.
Lewis-Skelly is worth €35m, as per Transfermarkt. Arsenal face West Ham United this weekend, as Premier League action returns.
