Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly is at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war, with Manchester United among the clubs that have been offered the opportunity to sign the 19-year-old as uncertainty grows around his playing time at the Emirates. Intermediaries have approached United as the left-back looks to secure more regular football, particularly with the summer World Cup on his radar.
Lewis-Skelly had a breakout campaign last season, earning a PFA Young Player of the Year nomination and forcing his way into Thomas Tuchel’s senior England squad ahead of schedule. However, this season has been far more difficult, with the teenager featuring in just 313 league minutes across the campaign, largely kept out by the combination of Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and other options ahead of him in Mikel Arteta’s defensive pecking order.
BBC journalist Sami Mokbel has reported that Arsenal are open to offers for Lewis-Skelly and fellow teenager Ethan Nwaneri, targeting a combined fee of around £100 million from both sales for PSR purposes.
A sale of Lewis-Skelly would represent pure profit given he came through the Hale End academy. United are searching for a long-term successor to Luke Shaw, who turns 31 this summer and faces contract uncertainty, with Tyrell Malacia set to leave as a free agent.
The picture, however, may now be shifting. TeamTalk report that Lewis-Skelly’s recent resurgence under Arteta, including a highly impressive midfield performance against Fulham in which he completed 97% of his passes, has dramatically reduced the likelihood of a summer sale. Arsenal are pushing for the Premier League title and Champions League final, and the teenager’s versatility is increasingly valuable in their squad.
Atletico Madrid have also registered interest, and West Ham, Crystal Palace and Everton have been monitoring a potential loan arrangement. Real Madrid had previously been linked but those rumours appear to have faded. Arsenal still see Lewis-Skelly as a player capable of impacting their first team significantly, and the club are in no mood to sell cheaply to a direct rival like United unless a genuinely transformative offer arrives.
A loan move next season, allowing him to play regularly elsewhere and return with enhanced confidence, appears the most likely outcome if Arsenal maintain their current stance.
