Man United are looking to make savvy transfers this summer and one deal could see them solve a couple of issues.
Myles Lewis-Skelly won the Premier League with Arsenal last season
Myles Lewis-Skelly won the Premier League with Arsenal last season(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images For Premier League)
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When Ineos took charge of football operations at Manchester United, one of their top priorities was to fix the club's transfer strategy. Buying big names on inflated wages had clearly not worked. United were falling behind their rivals and financially, without success on the pitch, it was no longer viable to continue with this philosophy.
Since then, some of Ineos' transfer successes have come from raiding their Premier League rivals. Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have both improved this team, Youri Tielemans is expected to do likewise, and while the jury is of course still out on Andrey Santos, the early signs in pre-season have been positive.
Now, the Reds are being linked with a move for Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly. On paper, the 19-year-old shares some similarities with another of United's Premier League acquisitions. Ayden Heaven joined the Reds in 2025 after becoming impatient with Arsenal's cautious approach to his first-team transition.
Heaven made just one senior appearance for the Gunners. He made six in his first half-season at Old Trafford, before adding 17 Premier League matches to his tally during his first full campaign in Manchester.
While Lewis-Skelly has enjoyed more regular minutes at the Emirates Stadium compared to Heaven, the depth of the Premier League champions' squad has capped his progression. Between mid-January and April, the teenager did not play a single Premier League game for the Gunners.
Were United to make a move for the youngster, Lewis-Skelly would be almost guaranteed to be handed more opportunities at Old Trafford than at the Emirates.
When Lewis-Skelly was introduced to the Arsenal first team he played left-back. This role is in the spotlight at United this summer due to the lack of options behind Luke Shaw. The 31-year-old featured in every Premier League game last season. But with an influx of matches added to the schedule thanks to their Champions League return, Shaw will need to be protected.
Currently, there is no clear alternative to Shaw. Patrick Dorgu could play left-back but he has looked more convincing as a winger. Diego Leon is still a raw talent, while uncertainty surrounds Harry Amass' future at the club. Lewis-Skelly's arrival would strengthen that position and should guarantee him more minutes.
This is reason enough for United to look at him, but a deal for Lewis-Skelly would also solve another issue for United. The expectation is that the Reds will add a third midfielder to their squad before the window shuts. While they are relaxed about the situation for now, Manuel Ugarte's injury means a gap is there for the Reds to fill.
Last season, Lewis-Skelly produced a sublime performance in midfield as Arsenal beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg. He would also go on to start the final alongside Declan Rice while Martin Zubimendi remained on the bench.
"I was originally training in midfield for [a few] months, around December until April," Lewis-Skelly explained in May to The Overlap. "That period there I was just learning my craft, learning that position.
"For me, that was natural as a young player, because that was where I grew up playing midfield. But it was just to kind of refine the smaller details in that position, in that team. What different players like, when I'm in different areas of the pitch as well.
"It felt like this is where I belong, it wasn't like, 'What's going on here?' It felt very natural to me."
Considering his age and the opportunities United could offer him compared to Arsenal, this is a deal that benefits the Reds and Lewis-Skelly. If United were to make a move, it would make a lot of sense.