Everton hold key advantage in January Lewis-Skelly race amid latest Thomas Tuchel message
Everton hold the perfect trump card when it comes to the race to sign Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal in January.
The Toffees are on the hunt for further reinforcements to their group in the mid-season transfer window, and the 19-year-old would certainly be a welcome addition on the left of the defence.
Thomas Tuchel left Jack Grealish out of his latest England squad for the November internationals, and the Arsenal defender was another notable absence, with the boss citing that he needs more gametime to be considered for the World Cup.
David Moyes would be well-placed to hand that to him in the second half of the season, but there is another reason altogether that he may give his team the edge in the race for the starlet.
Jack Grealish example to tempt Lewis-Skelly towards Everton
The turnaround that Grealish has enjoyed at Everton since the start of his loan spell has been nothing short of remarkable, and it is the perfect example of how a player can quickly flip their fortunes around.
The 30-year-old has come from absolutely nowhere to fight his way back into the discussion for England squads, and that is a testament to both his attitude this term and the environment that has been created at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Talented players are flourishing at Everton at the moment, and Grealish’s exploits could hand them a crucial advantage in the race for Lewis-Skelly this winter.
The Toffees are queuing up alongside the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest to sign the left-back, but Arsenal have no intention of letting him leave, according to The Daily Briefing.
Tuchel has made it clear that the 86 minutes of Premier League football that he has received so far in 2025-26 will not be enough for Lewis-Skelly to earn a place for his country.
With that in mind, he will surely push for a loan move away from Arsenal despite their current stance, and the impact of Grealish’s switch to Everton had, would surely see them catch the youngster’s eye above any of the other candidates.
Lewis-Skelly would start ahead of Vitalii Mykolenko
Vitalii Mykolenko has frustrated Everton fans of late with the lack of quality that he sometimes brings on the left flank, and he would surely be replaced in the starting XI if a loan deal for Lewis-Skelly were to present itself.
| Lewis-Skelly | Stats | Mykolenko |
| 23 | Apps | 35 |
| 94% | Accurate Pass % | 79% |
| 40% | Accurate Cross % | 29% |
| 3.5 | Ground Duels Won per game | 2.9 |
| 4.6 | Possession Lost per game | 10.9 |
| 1 | Tackles per game | 1.8 |
| 2.3 | Balls Recovered per game | 2.5 |
The Arsenal starlet boasted a stronger pass and cross accuracy than the Toffees star in Premier League action last term, while he also won more ground duels per game and gave possession away significantly less.
Mykolenko largely outperformed the England hopeful in the defensive metrics, but that is totally understandable considering that he plays for a team that are on the back foot much more often than Arsenal are.
Statistically, Lewis-Skelly was the stronger of the two players last season, and he would be an excellent addition for Everton if they could tempt him and Arsenal into a loan switch.
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