Jérémie Aliadière on why Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly may be sold in Summer

The 2025/26 Premier League campaign has reached a critical juncture, with Arsenal once again battling it out with Manchester City for Premier League glory. While the headlines are dominated by the senior squad’s neck-and-neck title race with Manchester City, another topic of discussion that’s heating up is the future of youth graduates Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.

For a club that has long prided itself on the "Hale End" production line, the current landscape of the squad is shifting, as the pressure for immediate results in the year 2026 begins to clash with the long-term integration of Arsenal's most promising young talents.

Multiple reports state that Arsenal may look to facilitate the departures of Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly, as a means to balance the books and provide Mikel Arteta with the "pure profit" required to remain competitive in an era of stringent financial regulations.

Former Arsenal striker Jérémie Aliadière, who knows the weight of expectation that comes with being a teenage prospect at the club and admits to AceOdds that the situation is deeply concerning.

The academy crossroads for Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri

The prospect of losing two of Hale End’s most gifted graduates has sparked concern among the fan base. Aliadière, understands the psychological toll such uncertainty takes on a young player’s development.

“To be honest, my head is going in all directions with the situation around Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. I was in that situation myself, being a young player who didn't play as much as I would have liked.”

“You know, I loved the club, I wanted to stay at the club, but I had to think about what I should do, if I should stay or leave the club. So, I do feel for them, because I know how difficult it is. The longer you wait, the less good opportunities will come your way, because the less people see you play, the less interest there will be in you.”

For many, the path to the England national team requires consistent first-team minutes, a commodity that has become increasingly scarce for academy players at a club competing for the game’s biggest honours.

“From their point of view, I would say that both of them probably have to go to progress their careers. If you really want to progress and get into the England squad, then you will have to play some minutes. They have to play at a top level somewhere to show what they can do, so from their point of view, it could be this summer where they have to find a new club.”

Balancing the books versus building the future

From a financial perspective, the logic of selling homegrown talent is often presented as "pure profit," but Aliadière warns that the value of these assets will only diminish if they remain rooted to the bench while their peers gain experience elsewhere.

“From Arsenal's point of view, it is always good to have players on the bench that you know have the quality to play, but at the same time their value is going down every season when they are not playing.”

“If the club and the manager are not planning to play them, then they will have to sell them and make some money out of them, because if you wait another season the price just keeps dropping and dropping.”

The lack of opportunity during critical moments of the season has been particularly telling. Even when injuries have depleted the senior ranks, the youngsters have often remained on the periphery of Mikel Arteta's tactical plans, with Nwaneri currently out on loan at Ligue 1 club Marseille.

“You know, Ethan Nwaneri couldn't even get into the team when we had some injuries. He couldn't get any minutes, so it was a good move to go on loan. For Myles, obviously, the club has two other players there, and of course they can pick up injuries as well, but he doesn't seem to be the first choice there, so if I was him, I would be thinking that I might need to leave.”

The Max Dowman factor and the academy message

The potential departure of local talents raises questions about the message being sent to the next generation of players at London Colney. While the meteoric rise of Max Dowman, who recently became the youngest scorer in Premier League history, offers a glimmer of hope, Aliadière argues that Dowman is an "alien" and his situation cannot be compared to that of others.

“Myles might think that it is his time to go. My son actually plays on the academy on the under 15 team, and when you have risen in the ranks in the youth times, you have spent a lot of time there, and I know how important it is to give hope to the kids to have someone from the academy playing on the first team. So, what kind of message does it send to the rest of the academy to sell him? I know Max Dowman is coming through but he is like an alien. He is from a different planet and can't be compared to anyone else.”

Ultimately, the pressure on the club to deliver immediate results in 2026 may be creating a glass ceiling for prospects, regardless of their individual potential or historical connection to the badge.

“So, what kind of message do you give to the parents of the players at the academy? The way to the first team is extremely hard, so from an academy point of view, you would question if Arsenal really gives the players the opportunity to break through. Or do you have to be extremely lucky and even need other players to have injuries, before you play? With all the big names and big signings, you might never play. You don't have the time in your career to wait ten years and for the club it is all about results, unfortunately.”

Read why Aliadiere thinks Arteta is still the right man to lead Arsenal to a trophy