Myles Lewis-Skelly, a player from Arsenal, has reportedly been offered to Manchester United as a potential left-back option. This development comes as Arsenal aims to recover some of the significant fee paid for Bruno Guimarães. Chelsea is also understood to be aware of the 19-year-old’s availability.
Last season, Lewis-Skelly made five league starts and a total of 36 appearances across all competitions. He signed a five-year contract last summer, and his potential transfer fee is estimated to be around £45m.
Interest from Premier League Clubs
Manchester United is currently evaluating a move for Lewis-Skelly. This potential acquisition falls within the financial range the club has spent this summer, following the arrivals of Youri Tielemans for £35m from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos for £48m, plus an additional £2m in add-ons, from Chelsea.
While Lewis-Skelly is being considered, Newcastle‘s Lewis Hall remains a primary target for Manchester United. However, after losing several key players, Newcastle‘s manager, Matthias Jaissle, is reportedly keen to retain the 21-year-old England international. Another player Manchester United might consider for the left-back position is RB Leipzig‘s 28-year-old David Raum.
Chelsea has also shown a long-term interest in Lewis-Skelly and has made a recent enquiry about signing the teenager. However, Arsenal is reportedly reluctant to sell Lewis-Skelly to a direct rival, especially a team they might compete with for top positions this season. Chelsea had previously been linked with Lewis-Skelly in January.
Despite Arsenal‘s significant spending to keep their squad together last season, including the £75m signing of Bruno Guimarães, there is an acknowledgment that player sales will be necessary this summer. Players like Lewis-Skelly, an academy graduate, would represent pure profit for the club.
Squad Dynamics and Player Future
The arrival of Bruno Guimarães has created competition in Arsenal‘s midfield. With Declan Rice, Guimarães, Lewis-Skelly, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino all vying for midfield spots, decisions about the squad’s composition are anticipated.
Lewis-Skelly has demonstrated versatility, playing effectively in both midfield and left-back roles. He played in defence when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League. There are valid reasons for Arsenal to retain Lewis-Skelly, particularly given the high number of minutes played by key midfielder Declan Rice.
Rice played in almost all Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup matches between January 1 and the end of last season. His heavy workload led to him being substituted more frequently during the World Cup, a rare occurrence in an Arsenal shirt. This suggests that Arsenal may need to rotate Rice more often, which could open up opportunities for Lewis-Skelly.
However, Arsenal also has Zubimendi and Merino as rotation options for Rice. The club’s need to address other areas and improve its record for player sales, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain‘s £35m move to Liverpool in 2017 being their highest transfer sale to date, presents a dilemma regarding Lewis-Skelly’s future. Arsenal‘s manager, Mikel Arteta, has indicated that important decisions will be made this summer to elevate the team’s performance.
Other Team News
In other news, Mason Mount missed training sessions on Monday and Tuesday at Manchester United‘s summer training camp in County Kildare. This absence was due to a foot knock he sustained in a match against Paris Saint-Germain. The midfielder’s absence is considered a precautionary measure.
Mount is also expected to miss Wednesday’s pre-season friendly against Leeds at Croke Park, a venue with a capacity of 81,300, which is sold out. Manchester United‘s final friendly match before the season begins is against Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday, ahead of Michael Carrick‘s team starting their season at Hull on Saturday week.
Source: theguardian.com
