One promising Arsenal teenager is now being trained in a new role as Mikel Arteta plans overhaul in that position.
Hale End academy gem Myles Lewis-Skelly is currently being prepared for a new role at Arsenal.
Arsenal are keen to sign a new left-back in the upcoming summer transfer window.
The North London club are currently well-stocked for players who can play that position. Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jakub Kiwior, and Jurrien Timber have all featured on the left flank of the Gunners’ rearguard this season. However, Mikel Arteta is still plotting an overhaul in that part of the pitch.
There are issues and question marks surrounding each of the club’s existing left-back options. Tomiyasu’s injury record means that he cannot be relied upon to be consistently available. Zinchenko is considered a defensive liability. Kiwior is a centre-back by trade and lacks attacking impetus when filling in at full-back.
Meanwhile, Timber’s maiden campaign in English football was decimated by injury, and it remains to be seen if he features more heavily in Arteta’s plans as a left-back or if he is more likely to play regularly on the opposite flank or in the heart of the defence. The Dutchman’s versatility and lack of game time makes his future tricky to predict.
Myles Lewis-Skelly being prepared for Arsenal first-team role
As well as seeking a fix for his left-back woes in the transfer market, though, Arteta is seemingly also considering an internal solution.
Lewis-Skelly is one of the most highly-rated prospects in the Arsenal academy system. According to The Athletic, the 17-year-old is now “learning” how to play as a left-back and has been earmarked as a potential candidate to make the step up to the first-team in that position in the coming seasons.
Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri both in Mikel Arteta’s plans
Lewis-Skelly is unlikely to be considered a viable option for regular involvement next season, but a pathway into the first-team picture is clearly being cleared for him. He will also benefit from the guidance offered by senior figures as he looks to adapt his game to this new role. Zinchenko was something of a mentor to Kiwior earlier this season, and the Ukrainian may well be on hand to help Lewis-Skelly.
The teenager’s fellow academy wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri has been earmarked by some for more game time next season though. Arsenal fans will certainly be keen to see more of the midfield sensation.