Myles Lewis-Skelly is closing in on a new contract at Arsenal, Arsenal Insider understands, with an extension reflecting his impact on the first team since breaking through.
It comes as a huge boost to Mikel Arteta, with the Hale End academy graduate showing plenty of current quality and potential for the future.
Myles Lewis-Skelly came through the ranks as a midfielder but has so far been deployed at left-back to help fill some fitness issues.
Since making his debut, the 18-year-old has been much more than a stand-in, keeping experienced pros such as Kieran Tierney, Oleksandr Zinchenko and summer signing Riccardo Calafiori out of the team.
With the Arsenal youngster impressing, his latest challenge came in the form of a sending-off, with Lewis-Skelly shown a red card against Wolves for serious foul play.
It was a baffling call that has left many frustrated and confused, while the wait for an appeal to the decision continues.
Fortunately, though, a new contract on the horizon for Lewis-Skelly shows just how much faith the club put in his long-term future.
Myles Lewis-Skelly set to sign new Arsenal contract
While Lewis-Skelly only signed a new deal last summer, his rise to the first-team ranks have put him in for another extension to reflect his impact.
It all looks set to be confirmed in the near future, coming as some much-needed good news for Mikel Arteta.
Speaking to football transfers expert Graeme Bailey of TBR Football, he gave an update on the latest surrounding the youngster and a new contract.
He told Arsenal Insider: “Lewis-Skelly’s progress has even surprised some at Arsenal – the likes of Tierney and Zinchenko are not in the club’s long-term plans but at the start of the season it was a hope that Lewis-Skelly would be.
“Mikel Arteta made it clear to everyone around the club that he had his belief, Ethan Nwaneri was perhaps getting more headlines but I am told Arteta always had just as much belief that Lewis-Skelly would come through.
“Arsenal are so happy with him and I am told talks over a new deal are progressing well and he is ready to put pen-to-paper.
“The scenario is the same with Nwaneri, which they fully expected will happen soon after his 18th birthday.”
It would be a huge boost to Arsenal’s prospects if both of their young talents did commit to the project, adding even more exciting options for the future of the squad.
Myles Lewis-Skelly’s Arsenal career so far
At just 18 years old, Lewis-Skelly has shown some impressive and mature performances for the handful of appearances he has been given.
With 17 appearances across all competitions, the youngster is still looking to score or assist his first goal at senior level.
However, the composure he has shown on and off the ball suggests he is a player already capable of playing at the top level and he can get even better.
The red card would’ve come as a huge blow, but it may well be a learning curve for the youngster to progress even further.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
