Myles Lewis-Skelly has been urged to pursue a move to Manchester United as Arsenal close in on the signing of Bruno Guimaraes. The Gunners have finally reached an agreement to sign Guimaraes for £75million after long, drawn-out negotiations with Newcastle. The Brazilian has already completed his medical at Arsenal and is set to become Mikel Arteta’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window.
Guimaraes’ arrival will further bolster an Arsenal midfield which already includes Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze, and Martin Zubimendi. Christian Norgaard has already made way, with the experienced Danish midfielder joining Everton after one season at Arsenal.
Lewis-Skelly's future in doubt
But former Gunners striker Jeremie Aliadiere believes Lewis-Skelly is another player who might have to think about his future in north London given the impending arrival of Guimaraes. The versatile academy graduate broke through two seasons ago, but struggled for regular minutes throughout large swathes of Arsenal’s title-winning campaign.
And while he did enjoy a regular run in the team towards the end of the season in central midfield, the arrival of Guimaraes looks to have dropped the 19-year-old back down the pecking order. Reports last weekend indicated that United had renewed their efforts to try and lure Lewis-Skelly to Old Trafford, and Aliadiere insists the move could be in the teenager’s best interests.
‘My heart would obviously say he is an Arsenal boy through and through, and you never want to see them leave the club,’ he told Metro. ‘For me, it’s a disappointment every time I see one of the academy boys having to leave. I’m gutted every single time because I’ve been there, but putting myself in Myles’ position, he needs to leave if he wants to have game time.
‘I know he had an unbelievable end of season last year in the last five, 10 games with the Champions League final, but don’t forget for three quarters of the season, he didn’t touch a ball. He didn’t get a minute. He didn’t come on. He didn’t play.’
Aliadiere: 'He might have to move'
Aliadiere continued: ‘For a young lad of his ability and his age, at some point, you need to think about your own career and about playing week in, week out and being a regular at the top level.
‘And now with the arrival of Guimaraes, where is he in the pecking order now? They have still got Zubimendi, so where is Myles going to get a minute and game time?
‘So as much as I definitely don’t want to see him going to Man United, I’m just thinking for his own career, he might have to move.’
Nwaneri at a crossroads
Aliadiere also believes that fellow academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri has a similar decision to make about his playing future at Arsenal. The midfielder has returned to the Emirates after an unsuccessful loan spell at Marseille, but impressed in the Gunners’ first pre-season match against Girona.
However, with plenty of competition and interest from Borussia Dortmund, Nwaneri has also been encouraged to seek a move away from his boyhood club.
‘I just feel that Arsenal have gone to such a different dimension and a level that where is the space for him to come through?’ Aliadiere added.
‘You see Max Dowman coming through, and obviously Max Dowman is a freak of nature, so you’re going to have to find him game time, and I just do feel Ethan is at a crossroads.
‘He’s still very young, so he’s still got a lot of years, but he needs to play. He needs to play regular football, and playing Carabao Cup games and FA Cup games isn’t enough for a player of his ability.
‘He’s got the ability to become one of the best, and when you see the demand and all the top clubs that are after him, you just think if we can’t give him game time, with the names we’ve got in our squad, where is he going to fit?
‘When everybody’s back and fit, is he going to be in the squad? Never mind starting, is he going to be in the squad? And it starts making you feel like it might be time for him as well to leave.’
