If Arsenal sell Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri this summer, it is hard not to think Arsene Wenger would be watching with frustration.
Arsene Wenger hasn’t been at Arsenal for a long time now, but, let’s not forget, this is a club that was built in his vision for the longest of times.
Yes, there were ups and downs, but throughout his time as a manager, he always had one key focus – developing young players.
Wenger built his Arsenal teams on young players. He trusted them early, even when it came at a cost. Cesc Fabregas, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Nicolas Anelka, Ashley Cole and Theo Walcott all came through under his watch – yes, they weren’t all academy products, but they were teenagers who were given first-team chances.
They were not necessarily finished products when they came into the team, but Wenger gave them time.
If you could set Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly’s price tags, how much would you demand?
He believed in the process, clearly explaining (via Arseblog). “You pay for the education of young players with points. I play a young central defender of 20-years-old and I know he will cost me points in the season. I have to stand up for that.
“If I play a 28-year-old centre-back, maybe less talented, he will cost me less points, but then I will not be giving a chance to a young player.”
That idea defined his time at the club.
Wenger accepted short-term risk for long-term gain. He knew mistakes would happen, but he backed young players anyway. That is how they improved. That is how Arsenal built identity.
This is why the current situation feels different.
Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly would be treated differently by Arsene Wenger
Nwaneri was once the youngest player in Premier League history. Lewis-Skelly is also seen as a top talent. These are exactly the type of players Wenger would have protected and developed.
Instead, Arsenal now look ready to move on.
It’s a clear shift in thinking. Under Mikel Arteta, the focus is on immediate results and gratification.
Yes, that could well lead to a league title this season, but there’s an element of reputational damage that could be done here.
This strategy risks losing something important. Arsenal have always been a club that develops young players, not one that gives up on them early.
If Arsenal get into the habit of selling young, talented stars, quite simply, young talents will stop heading to north London.
Yes, there are times when you do have to say difficult goodbyes – Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah both left Arsenal when the time was right, but with Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly considering selling both players as teenagers seems backwards.
There has to be a balance.
No one is saying every academy player should make it. But selling two of the brightest prospects at such a young age sends a message. It says patience is limited and loyalty is non-existent.
Wenger would not agree with that approach.
For him, development was part of success, not separate from it. And if Arsenal move away from that completely, they risk losing a key part of what made them different.
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