Liverpool should sign Myles Lewis-Skelly to compete with Milos Kerkez at left-back.
That’s the view of Peterborough United owner and Reds fan Darragh MacAnthony amid uncertainty over the 19-year-old’s Arsenal future.
talkSPORT understands that Lewis-Skelly has been offered to other Premier League clubs including rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.
The news comes after Arsenal completed the £75million signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle last week.
Although he has mostly played as a left-back, Lewis-Skelly is a midfielder by trade throughout his senior Arsenal career.
However, Guimaraes has joined strong midfield competition in Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino.
Lewis-Skelly made just five Premier League starts last season, and a move away may therefore offer more minutes from the off.
How much is Lewis-Skelly worth?
Reacting to the news on talkSPORT with Max Scott, MacAnthony said: “I love him, I think he’s a great, young player.”
“Why has he not been offered to Liverpool?” he asked, before adding: “Someone said, ‘What’s he worth?’
“I said, ‘Anywhere from £40-60million for a player of that age that’s English.'”
Scott then asked MacAnthony if he would welcome Lewis-Skelly at Liverpool this summer.
Kerkez is set to be the first-choice left-back in the new season ahead of Kostas Tsimikas, who is understood to want to fight for his place.
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“All day long,” MacAnthony said: “We need competition for our left-back. No disrespect to Tsimikas, but not for me. And, he can play in midfield, we’ve seen him play in that role in midfield…”
When it was suggested that Lewis-Skelly’s strongest position is in midfield, despite his experience at left-back, he replied: “Correct.
“Liverpool are crying out for that type of player who’s got those defensive skills but also still has, technically, the attacking ability as well.”
What could Lewis-Skelly be thinking?
Lewis-Skelly has been at Arsenal since the age of eight and worked through the academy ranks to feature in the first team.
He has already made 75 senior appearances for the north Londoners and won a Premier League title.
Whilst an exit is certainly not confirmed with Guimaraes’ arrival, it does raise questions over whether or not he has a place in the team.
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“I know that you look at the game from the perspective of an owner and a businessman, and you can sometimes, sort of, remove yourself from the emotion of the game, and understandably so,” Scott said to MacAnthony.
“But if you’re Myles Lewis-Skelly, an Arsenal fan brought through the academy, you proved yourself last season, broke back into the team, been an integral part, and now you’re hearing you’re offered to other Premier League clubs…
“Is that just the ruthlessness of the game, or can you understand he might be frustrated by it?”
“I don’t know where the report has come from, but I would imagine the player and his agent would know,” MacAnthony responded. “So, they’d be aware, I’m sure this hasn’t come out as a surprise on them.
“Maybe he wants to play more football, how many times did he play last year? I know he was in the Champions League final, I know he played a good few games at the end of the season.
“Maybe at that age, 19, 20, they want to go Man United and they want to go and play every week. We know United need that type of player, there’s no doubt about it.
“They were in for (Lewis) Hall at Newcastle, I think the price of that was probably too expensive.
“This is a young, English talent who will be in the England team for years to come, so it’s sensible business for whoever gets him.”
