Myles Lewis-Skelly urged to stick with Arsenal amid exit talk following England snub as ex-Gunners left-back praises 'special' teenager

In an interview with GOAL, in association with BetMGM, Monreal gave his opinion on Arsenal's current crop of left-sided defenders. The former Spain international made more than 250 appearances for the Gunners from the left-back position, spending six seasons at the Emirates Stadium from 2013 to 2019. 

Monreal was effusive in his praise of the young Englishman, saying he prefers to watch Lewis-Skelly over Mikel Arteta's current first choice, Riccardo Calafiori. 

While the Spaniard was clear that he rated Calafiori highly, he was cited Lewis-Skelly's technical ability and willingness to step into midfield as traits which make him a "special" player. Monreal was clear that he views Lewis-Skelly as a long-term prospect for the Gunners, despite his lack of game time and the player's desire to force his way back into Tuchel's plans for the 2026 World Cup.

Monreal said: "I really like Lewis-Skelly. I think he’s one of the best left-backs. When he plays, when I see him, he’s something special. Of course, he’s not playing because Calafiori is playing so well.

"This is nothing against Calafiori, but Lewis-Skelly is different. When you see him play, you will see him most of the time in the middle of the game. He’s not a typical left-back. If I compare myself with Lewis-Skelly, I was more in the left side, go to the side, but he comes often into the middle. He’s really good technically, how he receives the ball, how he turns, how he’s always playing forward.

"So I don’t know if he’s going to be in the squad for the World Cup, because obviously if you want to be in the squad you need to play in your team. He’s not playing right now, but if we are talking only about his level, yes, he’s a top, top left-back. He’s going to make a lot of appearances as an Arsenal player, 100 percent."

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Despite his many admirers in the game, Lewis-Skelly has struggled for minutes this season.The youngster became a key part of Arteta's side during the run-in last term, appearing in 23 Premier League games, making 15 starts. This year, the 19-year-old has yet to start a league game, making seven appearances from the bench.

Arteta has prioritised physicality in his Arsenal side this term, deploying four players that can play at centre-back across his first choice back four in Calafiori, William Saliba, Gabriel and Jurrien Timber.

The Arsenal manager has praised Lewis-Skelly for his maturity in light of fewer opportunities, and expressed sympathy at his disappointment in being left out of Tuchel's squad to face Albania and Serbia. 

Speaking ahead of the Gunners' recent trip to Sunderland, Arteta said: "We are here to support and to help each other and give a good perspective of the situation.

"When you look at his age, what he's already done, he's just remarkable. So don't look at the one [bad] moment what is happening for you because maybe it happens for the right reason and today you cannot see it."

Reports coming out of north London suggest that despite Arteta leaning towards Calafiori over the past few months, the club has no intention of letting the young England international leave. With Tuchel telling Lewis-Skelly that being "a good citizen" would not be enough to get into his squad, time will tell whether the 19-year-old pushes for more minutes or a loan move away to realise his World Cup dreams.