Miles Lewis-Skelly has been left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad, with the England manager sending a message to the Arsenal star who has started just four games this season.
A number of Premier League clubs are interested in signing Arsenal left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly after manager Thomas Tuchel told him he needs more game time. Louis Skelly, 19, was recently left out of Tuchel’s England squad for the first time this season as he is yet to start a league game in 2025-26.
All four of the defender’s starts have come in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, with Mikel Arteta preferring Riccardo Calafiori in top-flight games. Arsenal then signed Piero Hincapie on transfer deadline day, increasing competition for left-back positions.
Lewis-Skelly can also play in midfield, but Arteta’s decision to sign both Martin Zvimendi and Christian Norgaard means the World Cup hopeful’s minutes will be cut short. After England play Serbia and Albania this week, there will only be one more training camp in March before Tuchel names his squad for next summer’s competition.
Sky Sports reported that England staff rate Lewis Skelly as both a player and a person, but he needs to play more regularly to be competitive. He added that several Premier League clubs are monitoring his situation and are interested in brokering a move in January.
However, Arsenal are not looking to sell players, with Louis Skelly signing a five-year contract extension in June. The 19-year-old was a breakout star last season, scoring on his debut at Wembley earlier this year and winning a further five caps.
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But Lewis-Skelly was not named when Tuchel announced his latest squad, with Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly prioritized. “Miles is a very good team-mate and played for us in our final World Cup qualifying camp in Riga, as did Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Morgan Gibbs-White,” the England manager explained.
“But last time I said there was an element to it, it was about competition and performance, and the door was always open to players who performed at a high level on a regular basis. Myles, Reuben and Morgan performed better than O’Reilly, Alex Scott and Jude Bellingham in their positions.”
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“Miles needs more starts and more playing time. It’s time for O’Reilly to start a lot at that position, so he’s a little bit ahead of the game this camp.”
Arteta said he would hug Lewis-Skelly in his disappointment. “Certainly I think we are here to support each other and help each other and to get a proper handle on the situation. In Miles’ case, if you look at his age and what he has achieved, he is just a remarkable person,” the Arsenal manager said.
“So don’t look at what’s happening to you for a second, because maybe it’s happening for the right reason, but you can’t see it today.”
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