Arsenal under threat as rivals hunt down star told by Tuchel how to gain World Cup place | OneFootball

Arsenal are under threat as “a number of Premier League clubs” want to land one of their stars, with a potential move relevant to his World Cup inclusion, after being told how to gain a place by Thomas Tuchel.

The Gunners top the Premier League and are one of three clubs yet to drop a point in the Champions League. They seem to be on course to pick up some silverware this season, after three consecutive second-placed league finishes and a European semi-final last term.

Arsenal‘s squad has been on song all campaign, but some members have suffered. While last season, Myles Lewis-Skelly was a fantastic asset, this term, Riccardo Calafiori has been phenomenal, and is therefore keeping the youngster out.

Calafiori is outperforming his team-mate defensively, and in a lot of attacking metrics, leading to the 19-year-old being given just 86 league minutes and 197 in the Champions League.

He was left out of the England squad for the next games, and has been told he needs to be playing more to get back in, leading to a potential transfer.

Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorset said: “My understanding is that Thomas Tuchel has told him he needs to play more football if he’s going to be a candidate for that World Cup squad next summer, and at the moment, he isn’t playing enough for Arsenal.

“We know there are a number of Premier League clubs monitoring his situation.

“Arsenal have no desire to sell. They are competing still on four fronts when it comes to trophies. Their squad is stretched a little bit at the moment because of one or two injury problems.

“Myles Lewis-Skelly will get minutes for Arsenal going forward. And he has of course recently signed a new five-year contract.

“But if you take all of that aside, the reality is that Myles Lewis-Skelly is Arsenal’s third-choice left-back, behind Calafiori and [Piero] Hincapie and that is not a good place for him to be with his England prospects in mind.

“That’s why Thomas Tuchel has said to him you need to be more than just a good tourist.

“And if Arsenal were to consider selling him, another academy graduate where 100 per cent of his transfer fee would go as profit, so that will appeal to Arsenal in in the long term, but Mikel Arteta sees him as a very important player.

“Would be really interesting to see in January if a Premier League club or a European club came in with a big offer, would Arsenal entertain that? They’re certainly not encouraging any offers like that right now.