Miles Lewis-Skelly has struggled to get game time for Arsenal this season and the club are open to selling the left-back to Manchester United if assessments are met.
Miles Lewis-Skelly could leave Arsenal in the summer (Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Arsenal are reportedly interested in Manchester United defender Myles Lewis-Skelly this summer, as long as his valuation is met. United have identified Lewis Skelly as a potential successor to Luke Shaw at left-back and have been encouraged by Arsenal’s stance.
Lewis-Skelly made his breakthrough under Mikel Arteta last season, but playing time will be much harder to come by in 2025/26. With the arrival of Piero Hincapie in the summer, competition for the left-back spot increased, with Riccardo Calafioli also ahead of the 19-year-old in the top pecking order.
He has appeared in 28 games in all competitions, but has only started once in the Premier League, totaling just over 300 minutes in the league. Hincapie’s initial loan from Bayer Leverkusen is set to become a permanent move this summer, and it is clear that Lewis Skelly may have to move on to secure more regular game time.
And while Arsenal are proud of their academy graduates, Arteta and the Gunners hierarchy appear to be taking a pragmatic approach to business. BBC Sport reports that Arsenal are keen to sign Lewis Skelly and fellow youngster Ethan Nwaneri, but are seeking a total of £100m for the pair.
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Nwaneri is currently on loan at Marseille, having left in January in order to gain more regular appearances. Like Lewis-Skelly, he thought his minutes would be converted into a contract after the influx of new players in the summer.
Arsenal’s brutal attitude towards their current squad is illustrated by the fact that Gabriel Jesus, Ben White and Gabriel Martinelli could also be sold if a suitable offer is made.
Arteta was asked in his press conference before Saturday’s Premier League game against Bournemouth about the difficulty of striking a balance between giving academy graduates opportunities and winning. He made it clear that at the elite level there are no handouts, so the youngsters have to fight for a few minutes.
Mikel Arteta has made it clear that young players must get their chance at Arsenal (Image: Getty Images)
“It’s part of who we are,” he said of Hale End graduate Lewis Skelly and Nwaneri. “I think ultimately what should define this football club is the pursuit of excellence and the pursuit of the best, whether you come from the academy or from abroad.
“In the end, if we can get players from Hale End, it’s obviously much better because the identity is there. We’ve grown with them and they know exactly what we want. But then they have to earn it, not for a week, a month, years like with other players.”
“It doesn’t matter what department or role you have within the club. In the end you have to maintain your performance and it has to be at the highest level. If you want to win sustainably, you want to win.”
He added: “The margins are getting shorter, but we are doing something unprecedented. We have players who have played in competitions that no one has ever done at their age. I think we have a good balance.”
“We’re doing everything we can to accommodate that. They especially deserve a chance and that’s the best thing. Nobody is here to give a gift or a chance to someone who doesn’t deserve it. Everyone who was in and around the first team, they deserve to be there.”
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