Chelsea and Manchester United have reportedly been offered the opportunity to sign Myles Lewis-Skelly, with Arsenal potentially open to selling the 19-year-old after the recent arrival of Bruno Guimaraes. Lewis-Skelly, an academy product of Arsenal‘s Hale End, also spent time at Cobham.
Despite signing a contract extension at the Emirates Stadium last year, Lewis-Skelly is being linked with a move this summer. He featured 36 times for Arsenal across all competitions last term, with 19 of those appearances coming as starts.
Lewis-Skelly’s Arsenal Journey and Potential Departure
Lewis-Skelly’s journey into the Arsenal first team has been a notable one. His development accelerated during the 2024-25 season, where he emerged as a promising young full-back in the Premier League amidst squad injuries. This form led to his inclusion in the England squad, and in March 2025, he became the youngest male player to score on his England debut, securing the opening goal in a 2-0 victory against Albania at Wembley.
A few months later, the academy graduate was awarded a new five-year contract. While he gained prominence as a left-back, Lewis-Skelly has consistently maintained that central midfield is his natural and best position, having come through Arsenal‘s academy in that role. His attributes, including his ability to invert into midfield, protect the ball in tight spaces, and evade opposition players, were evident even when playing in defense.
Last season presented more challenges for Lewis-Skelly. With defender Riccardo Calafiori regaining fitness after his 2024 signing and Piero Hincapie joining on loan from Bayer Leverkusen before a permanent deal, minutes became harder to secure for the younger player. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged being “tough” on Lewis-Skelly.
However, as Martin Zubimendi‘s performances declined towards the end of last season, Lewis-Skelly was given a chance in midfield against Fulham with four Premier League games remaining. His subsequent performances led to him starting all but one game in the season’s final run-in, during which Arsenal won the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, where they were beaten by Paris St-Germain.
The financial aspect of football means that selling an academy graduate like Lewis-Skelly could represent “pure profit” for Arsenal, a concept that supporters often dislike, especially concerning players with strong ties to the club. Lewis-Skelly himself acknowledged this sentiment by captioning a picture of himself with the Premier League trophy with “pure profit” during the title celebrations at Selhurst Park.
Arsenal aims to be a sustainable club, and the transfer market encourages trading. Despite having financial flexibility, the club spent approximately £250m on new players last summer, necessitating consideration of sales. While Arsenal had considered offers for Lewis-Skelly, his strong finish to the season in his preferred central midfield position may have prompted a re-evaluation of his status for the summer.
Chelsea’s Interest and Squad Considerations
Following the arrival of Guimaraes for £75m over the weekend, Lewis-Skelly has been offered to both Chelsea and Manchester United. Sources indicate that the versatile midfielder has been on Chelsea‘s radar for some time. There is a belief that if Chelsea were to make a substantial offer, Arsenal would find it difficult to decline.
Lewis-Skelly has started every pre-season game as a defensive midfielder, filling in for absent players such as Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, and Guimaraes. His performances have been varied, though he impressed significantly in the left eight role at the close of last season, which earned him a start in the Champions League final.
Chelsea has already secured 10 players this summer, including pre-agreed deals, for just over £270m. While the club’s current focus is primarily on player departures, the possibility of adding to Xabi Alonso‘s squad before the new season cannot be dismissed if an opportunity arises.
Lewis-Skelly is naturally a central midfielder but can also provide cover on the left side of defense. Chelsea has signed Pep Chavarria, pending official confirmation, and has Jorrel Hato as options at left-back following Marc Cucurella‘s earlier departure this summer. In midfield, Alonso‘s squad includes Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Dario Essugo, Valentin Barco, and Enzo Fernandez. Fernandez is expected to return to training this week and remain a Chelsea player for Alonso‘s debut season.
Source: football.london
Adam Rutherford is a Senior Football Correspondent at News-UK. He spent his early career filing match reports across the North West. He focuses on the Premier League, the EFL and the England national side and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Journalism from Manchester Metropolitan University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Manchester, he coaches a youth team and watches grassroots football. “Every transfer window hides a dozen real stories.”
