Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly offered to Manchester United as left-back option
Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly has been offered to Manchester United as a potential left-back solution. Reports indicate that Chelsea has also been informed of the 19-year-old’s availability. Arsenal is looking to recoup some of the funds spent on Bruno Guimarães.
Lewis-Skelly, who signed a five-year contract last summer, made five league starts and 36 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 season. His prospective transfer price is understood to be in the region of £45m.
United’s Transfer Activity and Defensive Needs
This potential fee aligns with the financial range United has committed to this summer. The club has seen Youri Tielemans join from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos arrive from Chelsea. United is currently evaluating a move for the teenager.
While Newcastle’s Lewis Hall remains a primary interest for United, the new Newcastle manager, Matthias Jaissle, is keen to retain the 21-year-old England international. This follows the departures of Guimarães, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona. RB Leipzig’s David Raum, a 28-year-old left-back, is another player United may consider for the position.
Chelsea has also been active in the transfer market, bringing in Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra to strengthen their defence. Morgan Rogers became the club’s record signing. However, Xabi Alonso’s side has a gap on the left side of their defence after 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.
In other team news, Mason Mount missed training sessions on Monday and Tuesday at United’s County Kildare summer training camp. This was due to a foot injury sustained in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg. The 27-year-old midfielder’s absence is a precautionary measure, and he is expected to miss Wednesday’s pre-season friendly against Leeds at Croke Park. The game at the 81,300-capacity venue is sold out.
United’s final friendly before Michael Carrick’s team begins their season on Saturday week at Hull is against Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday.
Arsenal’s Stance and Lewis-Skelly’s Future
Chelsea has made a new enquiry regarding Lewis-Skelly’s availability, having shown long-term interest in the midfielder. However, Arsenal is reportedly reluctant to sell Lewis-Skelly to a rival team they might compete with for top positions this season. Manchester United also has a long-standing interest in the player, but they are still deciding whether to sign another midfielder or a left-back before the transfer deadline.
Arsenal is looking to be ambitious this summer, which may necessitate some player sales. Players like Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly would represent pure profit for the club. Despite celebrating the Premier League title, Lewis-Skelly had a challenging campaign, making only one Premier League start before Christmas and three by early May.
However, his situation changed in May when Mikel Arteta deployed him in a new midfield role during a crucial title run-in game against Fulham. Lewis-Skelly was named Man of the Match in the 3-0 victory. He remained in midfield for the rest of the run-in, including the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. His ability to play both in midfield and at left-back has been noted, including his 180 minutes in defence when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2025.
The £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes has raised questions about Lewis-Skelly’s role in the Arsenal midfield, given that Declan Rice and Guimaraes are now the club’s two most expensive players. With Rice, Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly, Mikel Merino, and Martin Zubimendi all vying for two midfield positions, decisions may need to be made. Rice played in almost every Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup game between January 1 and the end of the season, leading to concerns about his workload. England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged Rice was in “a lot of pain” by the time of the World Cup.
While Lewis-Skelly could provide rotation for Rice, Arsenal also has Zubimendi and Merino as options. The club’s record transfer sale remains Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s move to Liverpool in 2017. Arteta has indicated that important decisions are necessary this summer to elevate the team further.
Liverpool has also been mentioned in connection with Lewis-Skelly, with one commentator suggesting he would be a valuable addition to Anfield. The commentator noted Lewis-Skelly’s ability to play in midfield, highlighting his defensive skills and attacking capabilities. United’s final friendly before the season starts is against Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday.
Source: theguardian.com
