Arsenal midfielder faces major adjustments if Parthia leaves

If Thomas Parthi leaves Arsenal in the summer of 2025, head coach Mikel Arteta will face major adjustments to the midfield system. As the Ghana international has not shown a willingness to renew the contract, finding a high-quality replacement has become a top priority in the club's transfer plan this summer.

However, if the deal to sign Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad ended up falling apart with Real Madrid's intervention, Arteta might have to turn internally to tap potential—and the most eye-catching name at the moment is Miles Lewis-Skeley.

The teenager born in 2006 is only 18 years old, but has continued to impress people since he was promoted to the Arsenal first team. Although he often played as a left-back last season and showed excellent adaptability and technical qualities in this position, his "native position" is the midfielder - and it is the position where he shined in the youth training stage.

It was no accident that Lewis Skelly appeared in the full-back role. In Arteta's tactical philosophy, full-backs often need to have the vision and ball control ability of midfielders, and frequently recruit and participate in the organization during the game. This arrangement not only helps young players grow in an all-round way, but also lays the groundwork for future transformation.

If Parthi eventually leaves the team, it would be a reasonable step to re-deploy Lewis Skelly into the midfield. He has excellent ball control skills in small spaces, calm ball handling awareness, and accurate short pass scheduling skills. More importantly, he has the tactical acuity required for modern football and is a typical "ideal" player under Arteta's tactical philosophy.

Lewis Skelly's versatility also brought greater tactical flexibility to the Gunners. He can be competent as a central defender in the 4-3-3 system, and can also play the role of "introduction full-back" or "offensive midfielder" in the 3-2-4-1 formation. This plasticity makes him extremely valuable in lineup rotation and can even be seen as a key puzzle on the central axis of the future. Arteta himself once publicly praised the young talent: "He is a player who is eager to learn and always challenges his own limits." Such qualities are crucial to taking on heavier responsibilities, especially in the face of the experience vacancy left by Patertei.

Of course, Lewis Skelly does not need to take the lead alone immediately. Arsenal midfielder still has experienced players such as Rice, Jorginho (such as staying in the team), Havertz and Odegaard, which provides him with a gradual growth space.

In the face of uncertainty in external signings, transferring Lewis Skelly back to the midfield from the wing is not only a pragmatic move to deal with real challenges, but also a long-term layout that focuses on the future. As a second-place Premier League player, this young player may be the key to Arsenal's building a stable midfielder in the next few years.

Just appropriately polishing and trusting, Miles Lewis Skelly is completely possible to grow into a new generation of core figures in the Emirates Stadium midfielder.