At one stage last season it looked as though Myles Lewis-Skelly‘s Arsenal career was done and dusted.
An academy product, the Hale Ender was being discussed as pure profit. As a result, that made him an attractive sale, particularly after barely starting a single game for Mikel Arteta in 2025/26.
Indeed, prior to a run of run four starts in the last six Premier League matches, he had only started one league game all campaign.
It was quite the change in fortunes, therefore, when he leapfrogged Martin Zubimendi at the business end of the season.
How Lewis-Skelly has become key for Arsenal and England this season
The date was 2nd May 2026. Before then, Lewis-Skelly had never played in midfield for the Arsenal senior team before.
It’s a role he’s used to. After all, it was in a more central role that he flourished at youth team level for the Gunners.
However, his breakthrough at first-team level had come at left-back where he had dazzled. While he didn’t make it to the World Cup, Lewis-Skelly had become a regular in the England squad before his lack of minutes impacted his international hopes.
Now, that left-back role is a thing of the past. He’s a midfielder now and a very good one too.
It was in that role that Lewis-Skelly started three of the last four Premier League matches of 2025/26. It was in that role where he started the Champions League final.
Even with the arrival of Bruno Guimaraes, the 20-year-old has been pivotal from the middle of the park again.
Lewis-Skelly brings a level of press resistance that very few in world football can offer. He’s made that midfield spot his own and it would appear as though he may well be doing the same for Thomas Tuchel.
After missing the World Cup, the youngster is back in the fold for the Three Lions and impressing a great deal. He caught the eye alongside Elliot Anderson in the 3-2 defeat to Spain last week, completing 92% of his passes and winning four of his seven duels.
Despite his career revival since last May, Mikel Arteta is a ruthless coach and is never happy to rest on his laurels.
How Arsenal could bunt Lewis-Skelly down the pecking order again
Competition for places in this Arsenal squad is fierce.
Lewis-Skelly didn’t actually start the 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton prior to the international break with Declan Rice and Guimaraes preferred instead.
Therefore, his place isn’t safe and with Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino in the squad too, one bad performance could result in a regular place back on the bench.
Well, as it happens, Arsenal could sign yet another midfielder. That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who revealed that the Gunners are interested in signing one of Lewis-Skelly’s England colleagues, Alex Scott of Bournemouth.
Speaking on YouTube, Romano said: “On Alex Scott, Chelsea had one official approach and one official bid rejected by Bournemouth. They never wanted to sell Alex Scott. The answer was the same to Chelsea, to Arsenal, to Liverpool. He was untouchable.”
Romano continued: “In 2027 it could be different. Chelsea are not forgetting about Scott. They consider him as a target and believe he is the ideal player to add to their midfield. They are in contact with people close to the player. Liverpool have been in contact and then Arsenal have an interest in Alex Scott as a top midfielder but nothing is advanced.”
Valued at around £80m by the Cherries, it would be something of a surprise to see Arsenal invest such a large amount into another midfielder just months after signing Guimaraes but it would be worth it to ensure he doesn’t join one of their divisional rivals.
After all, Scott is one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League at the age of 23 and dazzled on his England debut against Croatia just a matter of days ago.
To date this term, he has outperformed Lewis-Skelly too. Here’s what the data tells us.
|
Lewis-Skelly vs Scott: 26/27 Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90 mins) |
Lewis-Skelly |
Scott |
|
Goals |
0 |
0.20 |
|
Shots |
0.66 |
0.60 |
|
Chances created |
0.66 |
2.22 |
|
Pass accuracy |
93% |
82% |
|
Tackles made |
0.33 |
1.82 |
|
Interceptions |
0.33 |
1.61 |
|
Ball recoveries |
2.64 |
7.26 |
|
Ground duels won |
2.64 |
6.05 |
|
Aerial duels won |
0.66 |
0.61 |
|
Take-ons completed |
0 |
0.81 |
When it comes to pass success rate, Lewis-Skelly is one of the best in the division but in most other metrics, Scott reigns supreme.
He is one of the hardest working midfielders around and the fact he wins so many duels, as many as 6.05 ground battles per 90 minutes should be music to the ears of Arteta. Remember the Amazon Prime documentary? “When you lose a duel I am upset”, he barked at the players.
Well, Scott barely loses a single one. He’s not just competent at breaking up play and recovering possession but he’s also a threat going forward.
The England international has a goal and two assists to shout about from his first six matches of the new campaign.
Just 23, there is a reason all of the top clubs want to sign Scott. He’s such a complete midfielder already and he’s someone Arsenal cannot pass up on despite their plethora of options in that area of the pitch.