Arsenal Midfielder Attracts Interest
Myles Lewis-Skelly, a midfielder for Arsenal, has reportedly been offered to Manchester United as a potential left-back option. This development comes as Arsenal looks to manage its squad following recent transfers.
Chelsea has also been made aware of the 19-year-old’s availability. While Lewis-Skelly was part of the Arsenal squad that won the Premier League last season, it remains uncertain if the west London club will pursue a move for him.
Despite making only five league starts and 36 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 season, Lewis-Skelly signed a five-year contract last summer. Reports indicate that Manchester United has spent on other players this summer, including Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos from Chelsea.
Transfer Market Dynamics
Newcastle’s Lewis Hall is a player of interest for Manchester United. However, after losing Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, Newcastle’s new manager, Matthias Jaissle, aims to retain the 21-year-old England international. RB Leipzig’s David Raum, a 28-year-old left-back, is another player United may consider for the position.
Chelsea has been active in the transfer market, bringing in players like Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra to strengthen their defence. Morgan Rogers also joined the club. The club has a defensive gap on the left side following Marc Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid. Jorrel Hato, a 20-year-old who played for the Netherlands at the World Cup, served as Cucurella’s deputy at left-back.
Manchester United’s Mason Mount missed training due to a foot knock received during a 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain. This is considered a precautionary measure, and he is expected to miss an upcoming friendly against Leeds at Croke Park. United’s final friendly before the season starts is against Milan in Wroclaw.
Lewis-Skelly’s Stance and Arsenal’s Position
Myles Lewis-Skelly is reportedly focused on remaining at Arsenal and securing a place in Mikel Arteta’s first-team plans for the upcoming season. Despite interest from other clubs, Lewis-Skelly is content at Arsenal and is not actively seeking a move.
The Arsenal academy graduate’s focus is on competing for regular first-team football. He signed a long-term contract with the club in the summer of 2025. Lewis-Skelly has been a regular starter for Arsenal during pre-season, and the club is not actively looking to sell the England international.
However, Arsenal anticipates departures before the transfer window closes and acknowledges the need for flexibility in their plans. Lewis-Skelly has been with Arsenal since he was eight years old and broke into the first team during the 2024-25 season. Initially playing as a left-back, he later established himself in his preferred central midfield role.
His performance during Arsenal’s title run-in earned him a start in the Champions League Final against Paris Saint-Germain. Arsenal has strengthened its midfield this summer with the signing of Bruno Guimaraes. Lewis-Skelly, who has made 75 first-team appearances for Arsenal, has been capped six times by England but was not part of Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad this summer.
Arsenal does not wish to sell Lewis-Skelly to a local rival, especially a team they might compete with for top positions this season. Chelsea had shown interest in Lewis-Skelly in January. Manchester United also has a long-standing interest in the player but is still deciding whether to commit to signing another midfielder or a left-back before the deadline.
There are questions about whether United could complete more significant deals if they pursue Lewis-Skelly. The market for central midfielders this summer has seen high prices, though Lewis-Skelly can play in both midfield and left-back positions. Arsenal kept its squad together last season despite significant spending and aims to be ambitious again this summer, which may necessitate some player sales.
Players like Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly would represent pure profit for the club. Lewis-Skelly had a challenging campaign last season, making only one Premier League start before Christmas and three by early May, despite being fully fit. Some fans believed selling him, as an academy graduate, would bring “pure profit” funds into the club.
However, his situation changed in May when Mikel Arteta deployed him in a new midfield role for a crucial title run-in game against Fulham, which helped revitalize the team. Lewis-Skelly was named Man of the Match in a 3-0 victory that put Arsenal back on track for the title. He remained in midfield for the rest of the run-in, including the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
His role in the Arsenal midfield is now potentially impacted by the signing of Bruno Guimaraes. Arsenal’s two most expensive players are now Guimaraes and Declan Rice. With Rice, Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino competing for two midfield spots, a decision regarding squad composition may be necessary.
Since his breakthrough last year, Lewis-Skelly has become a fan favourite at Arsenal, demonstrating his abilities in both midfield and left-back. He played 180 minutes in defence when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2025. There are reasons for Arsenal to keep Lewis-Skelly, particularly given the high number of minutes key midfielder Declan Rice played last year.
Rice played in almost all Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup games between January 1 and the end of the season. England manager Thomas Tuchel noted that Rice was in “a lot of pain” by the time of the World Cup, where he was substituted regularly, which is uncommon for him at Arsenal. The significant minutes played by Rice suggest that Arsenal cannot solely rely on him, potentially opening opportunities for Lewis-Skelly.
However, Arsenal also has Zubimendi and Merino as options for Rice’s rotation. Given Arsenal’s need to address other areas and improve their record for player sales, Lewis-Skelly’s future presents a complex situation. Arteta has indicated that important decisions are needed this summer to elevate the team. If a popular academy graduate moves to a Premier League rival, it would be a controversial decision.
Source: theguardian.com
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