Chelsea have made a new enquiry regarding the signing of Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Blues have shown a long-term interest in the midfielder and have again checked on his availability. This follows Arsenal’s recent acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes for £75m.
However, Arsenal are reportedly not keen on selling Lewis-Skelly to a local rival, especially a team they may contend with for top positions this season. Chelsea had previously been linked with Lewis-Skelly in January.
Manchester United also maintain a long-term interest in Lewis-Skelly. However, United are still evaluating whether to commit to signing another midfielder or a left-back before the transfer deadline. It is uncertain if United would be able to complete further significant deals if they pursue Lewis-Skelly, particularly in a market characterised by high prices for central-midfield players this summer.
Lewis-Skelly’s role and Arsenal’s transfer strategy
Myles Lewis-Skelly, who signed a five-year contract last summer, made only five league starts and 36 appearances across all competitions in the 2025-26 season. His potential transfer fee is estimated to be around £45m. This figure falls within the financial range United have allocated this summer, following the £35m move of Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos’s arrival for £48m plus £2m in add-ons from Chelsea. United are currently considering a move for the 19-year-old.
Arsenal’s decision to potentially sell Lewis-Skelly comes as they aim to recoup some of the £75m spent on Bruno Guimaraes. The sale of an academy graduate like Lewis-Skelly would represent ‘pure profit’ for the club. Despite posing with the Premier League title in May, Lewis-Skelly experienced a challenging campaign last season, 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 match against Fulham. Lewis-Skelly was named Man of the Match in the 3-0 victory, which helped put Arsenal back on track for the title. He remained in the midfield for the remainder of the run-in, including the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. He also played 180 minutes in defence when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League in 2025.
The £75m signing of Bruno Guimaraes, alongside Declan Rice, has raised questions about Lewis-Skelly’s role in Arsenal’s midfield. With Rice, Guimaraes, Lewis-Skelly, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino all vying for two midfield positions, some changes may be necessary.
Interest from other clubs and squad considerations
Chelsea, who have already spent over £300m on new signings this summer, including Maxence Lacroix, Marco Palestra, and record signing Morgan Rogers for £117m, are also looking to fill a gap on the left side of their defence after Marc Cucurella’s £52m move to Real Madrid. The 20-year-old Jorrel Hato, who played for the Netherlands at the World Cup, served as Cucurella’s deputy at left-back.
Newcastle’s Lewis Hall remains a primary target for Manchester United. However, following the departures of Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, the new Newcastle manager, Matthias Jaissle, is determined to keep the 21-year-old England international. RB Leipzig’s 28-year-old left-back David Raum is another player United may consider for the position.
There are arguments for Arsenal retaining Lewis-Skelly, especially given the significant minutes played by key midfielder Declan Rice over the past year. Rice, who is 27, participated in all but two of the Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup matches between January 1 and the end of the season. England manager Thomas Tuchel noted that Rice was experiencing “a lot of pain” by the time of the World Cup, where he was regularly substituted, a rare occurrence during his time with Arsenal.
The high volume of matches suggests Arsenal may need to rotate Rice more frequently, potentially opening up opportunities for Lewis-Skelly. However, Arsenal also have Zubimendi and Merino as rotation options for Rice. With Arsenal looking to address other areas of the squad and improve their record for player sales, the future of Lewis-Skelly presents a complex decision. Arteta has indicated that important decisions are needed this summer to elevate the team to the next level.
Source: skysports.com
