The Arsenal FC - Related News and Devts for 2025-26 Season

[Coach]

More headless chicken than Kentucky's fried Frankenstein.

[danfo driver]

[Siddonlook11]

Hmm we let a 33 year old go to sign a 31 year old .... siddonlook mode activated

[Coach]

Norgaard. Viking. Battle hardened. Knows a 50/50, no stranger to a splash of yellow on the card.

Brentford will be in the dogfight next season. Captain off. Star forward off. Manager gone. Keith at the helm. A lot of change for one Bee hive.

[Thelastoneleft]

Hmm we let a 33 year old go to sign a 31 year old .... siddonlook mode activated

Not really. It's even worse because Partey is only 9 months older.
Partey: 13 June 1993
Norgaard: 10 March 1994

Technically, they are same age. I do not know if such bonehead decisions are made by Arteta or Berta but, to me, this smells like Arteta.

[danfo driver]

Hmm we let a 33 year old go to sign a 31 year old .... siddonlook mode activated

Not really. It's even worse because Partey is only 9 months older.
Partey: 13 June 1993
Norgaard: 10 March 1994

Technically, they are same age. I do not know if such bonehead decisions are made by Arteta or Berta but, to me, this smells like Arteta.

[danfo driver]

[Sleaky72]

MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY
The Journey Here…

In Mikel Arteta's first week at Arsenal, he called the U16 head coach, Dan Micciche, to his office, about immense talents playing with kids four years their senior and asked him: “I hear you’ve got players for me…”

“I got asked to go and see him, and he wanted to know about Myles and Ethan,” Micciche tells Standard Sport. “Not many managers in their first week of a job would say: ‘Can you get me video clips of them?’ He had heard their names, so he just wanted some more detail. We put together videos and montages. The analysts did a great job. Arteta's had them over since a very young age. He knew about them when they were 14."

Within weeks of his arrival, Berta had reached out to introduce himself to the Lewis-Skelly camp. Despite being new in the job, he impressed with his knowledge of the player. Berta makes a habit of watching training at London Colney and has been struck by Lewis-Skelly’s personality and ability.

But the man who provided continuity, and who shepherded the deal from outset to completion, was director of football operations James King.

King was hired in 2024 to replace Richard Garlick, who had stepped up to become managing director. King had previously been senior legal counsel at the club before leaving to become general counsel at the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

He is regarded as a skilled negotiator, but also very personable. His time with the PFA, allied with Marcia’s interests in footballers and family, meant they quickly found common ground and struck up a good rapport. King became the primary point of contact on the deal. His importance is reflected in his presence at the official signing and photography.

The other key individual was Arteta. Lewis-Skelly has great respect for the Arsenal manager, as well as enormous gratitude: Arteta instigated the positional switch to left-back that has accelerated his development. He saw something others did not.

Lewis-Skelly recognises the faith Arteta has placed in him and is determined to repay it. Towards the end of last season, he made a point of expressing his thanks to the Arsenal manager.

“I went to the boss’ office and sat down,” says Lewis-Skelly. “I said, ‘Boss, first things first: I’m grateful for you putting trust in me this season. If I wasn’t at left-back, I wouldn’t go on the trajectory or the journey that I am on now.

“I told him I’m grateful for him, that he changed my life, and helped change my family’s life. He seemed happy with what I had to say.”

There has been speculation over whether Lewis-Skelly will remain at left-back or revert to a midfield role, but his position on the pitch was not part of the talks.

For the time being, he is just happy to be playing. He is relishing the possibility of being England’s left-back at next summer’s World Cup.

Given that he was set to become a free agent in 2026, there was inevitably interest from other clubs. Throughout the process, however, Lewis-Skelly’s priority was always to stay with Arsenal.

From the outset, the ambition was always to have Lewis-Skelly’s contract signed before he returned to training at London Colney in mid-July.

That job is done. Arsenal take great pride in where Lewis-Skelly has come from. Now they can look forward to his future.