Arsenal could end up selling left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, according to former Gunners striker Alan Smith.
The Arsenal legend, now a pundit, has launched a surprise criticism of Lewis-Skelly, suggesting that he should perhaps be someone offloaded by the club in the summer.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a stunning breakthrough season last term, playing a total of 39 games for Arsenal’s first-team and making his debut for the senior England national team.
This campaign has perhaps been a bit harder for Lewis-Skelly, but it also seems a bit rash for someone like Smith to be giving up on him already.
Arsenal advised to sell Myles Lewis-Skelly
Discussing Lewis-Skelly’s dip in form and future at the Emirates Stadium, Smith made it clear he feels the player is ultimately not good enough and should be sold.
“He is just not good enough defensively,” Smith told BestBettingSites.co.uk, as quoted by the Metro.
“He’s been brought up as a midfielder, and when he’s had 1v1s, he has struggled, for example, when Frimpong was up against him in the Liverpool game, because he’s not the quickest either, and he’s not a natural defender.
“He’s got three players in front of him who can all defend better. So, looking forward to the summer, I think it might be a case of selling him, for PSR and all that, being a youth team player, it’s pure profit.
“So, unfortunately, I think he might have to leave the club.”
Arsenal have options at left-back
Even if Lewis-Skelly still has it in him to turn his career around and develop his game, it would also be fair to say that he faces a lot of competition at left-back at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta has Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie as two other solid options in that position, and they’ve tended to play ahead of Lewis-Skelly this season.
AFC fans won’t want to see a homegrown player leave, but the club also have to think about things like PSR, meaning there could be a lot of sense in cashing in on a player who came up through their academy.
