Miles-Louis Skelly’s future at Arsenal continues to be a hot topic ahead of the January transfer window following manager Thomas Tuchel’s recent comments.
The England manager told the defender that he needs to play more if he wants more playing time if he wants to make the England squad.
Louis-Skelly was left out of the squad for Serbia’s match against Albania, with Tuchel explaining that the youngster has a “great personality” and is a “valuable member of the team”, but that “just being a good tourist is not enough”.
“Miles is a very good team-mate and he played for us in our final World Cup qualifying camp in Riga, as did Ruben Loftus-Cheek and so did Morgan Gibbs-White,” Tuchel said (via Sky Sports).
“But I said last time that there is an element to it, it is about competition and performance, and the door is always open to players who perform at a high level on a regular basis.
“Myles, Ruben and Morgan performed better in their positions than O’Reilly, Alex Scott and Jude Bellingham.
“Myles needs more starts and more minutes.
“We’re at a point where O’Reilly has gotten a lot of starts at that position, so he’s a little bit ahead of us in this camp.”
This has led to speculation that the young Englishman may seek an away move in the upcoming transfer window, with several Premier League clubs said to be interested.
According to the latest information catch off side daily briefingEverton, Fulham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest are all monitoring the 19-year-old’s situation at Arsenal.
However, sources say the chances of the player leaving Arsenal, neither temporarily nor permanently, are “almost zero”.
The player has just signed a new long-term contract with the club and Mikel Arteta is hoping to complete the season with a squad large enough to ultimately win silver.
Subscribe now to get the latest transfer exclusives from The Daily Briefing – no ads!
Miles Lewis Skelly’s situation at Arsenal
The young defender has struggled to find playing time this season due to Riccardo Calafioli’s excellent form.
The Italian is Arteta’s preferred starting left-back in the Premier League, having started all 11 games so far.
However, he has started three of the Gunners’ four MLS games in the Champions League, and has started two games so far in the League Cup, assisting in both.
The 19-year-old faces stiff competition due to the Italian’s performance, but there is no doubting the quality of the player.
He had a breakthrough season with the Gunners last season, taking advantage of injuries to Arsenal’s full-backs.
Lewis-Skelly has started 42 games in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists.
Mikel Arteta’s confidence in him for this season’s Champions League matches shows that the manager has no doubts about his quality and that he is the player of the future at the Emirates.
