Arsenal will 'probably' sell player loved by Thomas Tuchel and compared to Wayne Rooney

Competition for places is tough at Arsenal and former Arsenal forward Alan Smith believes one star could be sold in the summer as a result of a difficult season

Former Arsenal forward Alan Smith believes there is ‘every chance’ that Gunners youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly will depart the Emirates this summer. The 19-year-old broke out as a regular in Mikel Arteta's team last season but has found minutes more difficult to come by this term.

The versatile midfielder has spent most of his time at left-back in the senior set-up and even made it into the England team under Thomas Tuchel. The German coach was full of praise for the teenage star.

"Amazing player. Amazing personality," Tuchel said in March 2025. "He came into camp and showed straight away that it's normal to fall in love with him. It is well deserved.”

Lewis-Skelly played 42 times for Arsenal last season and even drew comparisons to Wayne Rooney. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said the youngster was 'spectacular at full-back' and had 'football arrogance' that matched Rooney and England team-mate Jude Bellingham after impressing against Real Madrid last year.

But the summer saw Arsenal add defender Pierio Hincapie on loan, offering additional depth to Riccardo Calafiori on the left side of defence. Lewis-Skelly has made just one Premier League start in 2025/26 but has remained a regular in Europe.

Nevertheless, with his chance of an England World Cup call-up looking slim, Smith reckons the teenage star could be on the lookout for a move in the summer.

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"It’s been a really difficult season for Myles Lewis-Skelly, hasn’t it? He’s behind two players, really, for the left-back slot," Smith told BestBettingSites.

"If he did get a chance, I’d quite like to see him in midfield. That’s his position. Just see how he fares there. He’s not the best of defenders, so it suits him better in midfield. He’s really creative.

"I think it’ll probably be a shop window for him. I think there’s every chance he might leave in the summer. We’ll see on that."

Lewis-Skelly is under contract with Arsenal until 2030 after signing a new contract in June 2025, following his breakout season. Speaking after signing that deal, he said: "I’m so proud and happy. I know those words are simple, but I think they sum up how I feel signing for this club. I’m a fan and it’s like a dream come true.

“I've embodied the values of Hale End and come through. I've still got a lot of years ahead of me, so if I can keep staying humble and being a good person, that's the most important thing to me.

“I know I've taken a lot of experience from the games about the positive moments, the mistakes that I've made. I'm definitely more ready now for the next season. I just want to keep learning and keep improving.

The academy product may yet find more playing time before the season is out as Arsenal challenge for glory in the Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup.