Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Mikel Arteta's previous comments on a similar transfer could be telling
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, speaks to Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal after the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Arsenal FC at Portman Road
Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly has been linked with a move to Manchester United(Image: Getty)
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Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly is reportedly being targeted by Manchester United with Mikel Arteta's stance potentially paving the way for a deal. The Gunners youngster is reportedly keen to secure more regular first-team football.
Since penning his first professional deal at the Emirates in 2023, Lewis-Skelly has become a key component of Arteta's squad rotation. The Spaniard handed him his debut in 2024 and he was shortlisted for PFA Young Player of the Year last season.
However, Arsenal's backline is statistically the finest in the Premier League and opportunities have dried up for Lewis-Skelly. Predominantly used at left-back, he finds himself behind both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie in the pecking order, with Jurrien Timber also capable of filling that role.
This campaign, the 19-year-old has managed just a single top-flight start and reports indicate United are keeping a close eye on his situation. Arteta's handling of a previous departure could prove telling for any potential negotiations.
Sky Sports reports Lewis-Skelly features on United's shortlist of left-back targets ahead of the summer window and in 2024, a similar move involving another Arsenal academy product set a notable precedent. Chido Obi had been part of the Gunners' setup since the age of 13 before choosing to switch allegiances and join United.
Chido Obi of Manchester United takes photographs with supporters during the FA Youth Cup fourth round match between Manchester United and Derby County at Old Trafford
Obi swapped the Emirates for Old Trafford in 2024(Image: Getty)
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Arteta was questioned about the transfer and his position was revealing. Last year, when Obi's United were set to face Arsenal, he said: "Depending on what is the reason, they wanted to go somewhere else - that is it.
"To persuade a player to stay, a player has to be willing to be with us and commit to us. I don't know specifically, [but] both parties will feel very different about it.
"I wasn't too involved in that decision. When a player decides that the best pathway is to leave, there is not much that you can do. Very unfortunate."
This perspective could help United's chances of landing Lewis-Skelly. Should the 19-year-old determine that it serves him better to exit Arsenal in pursuit of more regular game time at United, Arteta's philosophy perhaps suggests he would be permitted to go.
Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal walks towards the substitutes bench prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Arsenal FC
Lewis-Skelly has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal(Image: Getty)
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Nevertheless, Lewis-Skelly only put pen to paper on a fresh contract last year, running until 2030. Combined with the likelihood that Arsenal would probably seek an enormous fee for the defender, his remarks after signing the deal indicate he won't be departing the Emirates anytime soon.
"I want a legacy," he said in June. "I want to win everything there is to win in the game. I want to win trophies on the biggest stages while being a person that's always learning and stays grounded, which is so important.
"I've embodied the values of Hale End and come through. I've still got a lot of years ahead of me, so if I can keep staying humble and being a good person, that's the most important thing to me."
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