The futures of teenage Arsenal duo Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly beyond the end of the season are in doubt as Mikel Arteta is unable to provide them with assurances of regular playing time
Mikel Arteta has cast further doubt over the futures of Hale End graduates Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly by claiming Arsenal must constantly strive for “excellence.”
In recent days, reports have indicated both players, who broke into the Gunners first-team last year, could be sold at the end of the season to help fund further reinforcements.
Attacking midfielder Nwaneri made just eight Premier League appearances during the first half of the campaign before joining Marseille on loan in January.
His early progress in France has since been halted by OM’s turbulent form and new boss Habib Beye’s struggles following the departure of Roberto De Zerbi.
Meanwhile, left-back Lewis-Skelly has made just one top-flight start this term despite being a mainstay in the starting XI last season.
When asked how difficult it is to juggle the demand for trophies while also preserving the club’s DNA and championing Hale End graduates, Arteta indicated he will not shy away from making brutal decisions.
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He said: “It’s part of us. I think at the end, what it has to define this football club is to seek for the excellence and to seek for the best, regardless of whether you’re coming from the academy or from abroad.
“At the end, if we can have players from Hale End, obviously that’s much better because the identity is there. We grow with them, and they know exactly what we’re looking for.
“But then they have to earn it, and not for a week, not for a month, not for years like anybody else. It doesn’t matter what department or role you have in the club.
“At the end, you have to sustain performance and that has to be at the very highest level. If we want to win sustainably, we want to win.”
Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly won’t be short of options as they remain two of English football’s most-promising young players.
But they need regular minutes and opportunities to fulfil their potential and Arteta seemingly cannot provide any assurances of playing time as his team continue to compete for the biggest prizes in club football.
Furthermore, having spent heavily last summer, Arsenal will be under increased pressure to generate cash via sales if they are to continue investing in their squad due to financial regulations.
Both Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly would reflect 100 per cent profit from an accounting perspective, as they have climbed the youth-team ranks and made their way into the senior set-up.
Arsenal will also feel they can command sizeable fees for the duo, particularly given there will be a vast range of interest in their services from both home and abroad.
Due to the club’s success and the evolution of the squad, Arteta was also asked if it’s become harder for those players to prove themselves.
He replied: “The margins are shorter, but we’re doing something as well that is unprecedented. We have players that played in competitions that nobody else has done at that age. I think the balance is there.
“We are doing everything we can to accommodate that, especially because they deserve the opportunity, which is the best thing. Nobody is here to give a gift, an opportunity to somebody that doesn’t deserve it. Everybody that has been in and around the first team deserves to be there.”
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