11 August 2026
In an unexpected development, reports emerged that Manchester United were among the clubs given the opportunity to sign Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Since breaking into the spotlight, the Arsenal youngster has shown he has the ability to compete against the very best in the Premier League, but decisions taken by Arsenal’s hierarchy have since created an intriguing situation around his future.
Even after establishing himself as Arsenal’s first-choice left-back during the 2024-25 season, Mikel Arteta still moved to chase Bayer Leverkusen left-back Piero Hincapie.
As well as bringing in Hincapie, the Arsenal manager also chose to favour Riccardo Calafiori at left-back ahead of Lewis-Skelly.
That meant the young Gunner spent the majority of last season on the bench, behind both players in the pecking order.
It was only later in the campaign, when calls grew louder for Martin Zubimendi to be taken out of the starting XI after a drop in form, that Lewis-Skelly eventually got his chance, stepping into midfield, which is his natural position.
However, despite showing that he was ready to take on an important role in the middle of the pitch, Arsenal then went on to sign Bruno Guimarães.
For many observers, Lewis-Skelly is the player most affected by that transfer.
So when reports claimed he had been offered to United as well as other leading clubs such as Chelsea, it appeared to make sense.
But what may surprise many, considering the situation facing the 19-year-old, is the latest update from The Athletic:
“Myles Lewis-Skelly wants to stay at Arsenal and is fully focused on establishing himself in Mikel Arteta’s first-team plans for the upcoming season.
“The 19-year-old’s performances have attracted interest from elsewhere, but Lewis-Skelly is happy at Arsenal and is not exploring a move away.”
Even though his prospects of regular minutes now appear to be under serious threat, it is notable that Lewis-Skelly still wants to remain at the Emirates Stadium.
This becomes even more interesting in light of how Ayden Heaven has shown that a new beginning elsewhere can completely reshape a career.
If he had been pushing for a move to Old Trafford, INEOS would almost certainly have had reason to explore a deal.
He would have represented a genuine option for Michael Carrick, who could have used him either at left-back or in midfield, with plenty of playing time likely on offer.
Overall credibility: 8/10 Why?
✅ Reported by a credible source for Premier League news
⚠️ No direct contact has yet been made regarding a potential transfer
TPP view
In our view, the speed at which these claims emerged after reports that he had been offered around raises major doubts over the suggestion that he is eager to leave.
