How Arsenal really feel about sending Myles Lewis-Skelly on loan in January

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal have no plans to loan Myles Lewis-Skelly out in the January transfer window, Arsenal Insider understands.

After enjoying a meteoric rise last season, which saw the youngster establish himself as Mikel Arteta’s first choice left-back, the Gunners defender has had to play a much more peripheral role this term.

Limited to just four starts across all competitions thus far, Lewis-Skelly was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad, with the German citing his lack of game time for his club as the reason for this omission.

This has unsurprisingly prompted many Arsenal supporters to express concern over the player’s future, but the North London club aren’t rushing to conclusions.

• READ MORE: Confirmed Arsenal summer 2025 transfer ins and outs, signings and done deals

Arsenal have no plans to loan Myles Lewis-Skelly out

Lewis-Skelly enjoyed an unexpected breakthrough into the Arsenal first team last season.

Injuries to the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Oleksandr Zinchenko opened a pathway for the Hale End graduate to be given minutes, and he took the opportunity exceptionally.

Performing outstandingly in Arsenal’s run to the Champions League semi-finals, Lewis-Skelly was fast-tracked into the England squad.

However, like his academy counterpart Ethan Nwaneri, the midfielder-by-trade is experiencing a slower second season in the senior set-up at the Emirates.

After the England squad was announced on Friday morning and the Gunners star wasn’t in it, Arsenal fans were quick to suggest that Lewis-Skelly could now go on loan in January.

However, while the player is frustrated to miss out on the Three Lions squad, the North Londoners aren’t prepared to let him leave temporarily this winter, as they still view him as a pivotal part of their squad.

“Lewis-Skelly, he’s young and he’s going to have to fight for his place,” transfer expert Graeme Bailey told Arsenal Insider.

“It’s a massive frustration for him that he might end up missing out on a World Cup place, especially as Lewis Hall is to come back as well and even Luke Shaw might push for a place. It’s a tough one.

“I guess for Lewis-Skelly, the extra frustration is that he was there and he’s lost out because he’s not getting his games at Arsenal.

“I don’t think there’s much chance of Arsenal letting him out on loan in January. Clearly, if they were, there would be a host of interest from the Premier League and in Europe. He’s a fantastic young player, but Arsenal think he’s a fantastic young player as well.

“And at the end of the day, Arsenal are in this to win the Premier League and the Champions League. Their main target at the moment is to do the double, be the Champions of England and the Champions of Europe. They feel Lewis-Skelly is, and will be, a huge part of potentially achieving this.”

Myles Lewis-Skelly’s statistics compared to Riccardo Calafiori’s

Arsenal signed Piero Hincapie this summer, and the Ecuadorian is certainly an option for Arteta at left-back.

However, Calafiori remains Lewis-Skelly’s primary competitor for this position. The Italian adds an element of unpredictability to the Gunners’ attack, and it’s clear that this is the primary reason why he’s being selected over the Englishman at the moment.

Arteta grants his full-backs freedom to become the extra man in attack, and Calafiori’s offensive output this season has been very impressive.

While Lewis-Skelly is still posting better numbers than Calafiori in ball progression and ball retention metrics, the 23-year-old adds a lot more value in the final third.

The former Bologna man is taking over two shots per 90 minutes, and averaging over three touches in the opposition box – astounding numbers for a full-back.

It’s evident that this is what Arteta wants from his left-back, and it’s up to Lewis-Skelly to develop this part of his game so that he can force his way back into the team.