Arteta reaches decision on Myles Lewis-Skelly’s Arsenal future amid Man Utd, Chelsea links | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has made it clear that Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly is going nowhere despite links with Manchester United and Chelsea.

The teenager enjoyed a breakout season in 2024-25, with the left-back making 39 appearances in all competitions.

Lewis-Skelly shone in the Champions League and earned his first England caps, but last term, the 19-year-old’s development was, arguably, stunted.

The England international was often left on the bench behind Riccardo Calafiori, although he did end the campaign on a high by playing in midfield and being part of their Premier League title-winning squad.

Then, out of the blue, the Arsenal academy player was linked with a surprise Emirates exit. Reports surfaced that the youngster had been offered out to Chelsea and Man Utd, something that was met with uproar by Gunners fans.

Despite impressing in midfield alongside summer recruit Bruno Guimaraes in Arsenal’s 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City, Arteta didn’t exactly dismiss the Lewis-Skelly transfer rumours.

He said after the victory, “I’m not going to talk about speculation. If there is speculation about our players, it’s a good sign. That means our players attract attention and are doing a good job.”

Earlier this week, Lewis-Skelly himself spoke for the first time since the transfer speculation began, as he expressed his excitement for the new season.

He said on Arsenal’s Live X broadcast on Tuesday, “Personally, I feel ready. We’ve got an amazing squad. And I feel like, as a team, there are more things in the air at the moment. We all have the same common goal.

“You know what we want from the season, and I feel like everyone’s kind of buying into that again. So yeah, we’re ready, we’re excited.”

Although Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick has refused to rule out the possibility of a Lewis-Skelly departure, Arteta made it clear he wants him to stay.

When asked if Lewis-Skelly would be at Arsenal beyond the end of the transfer window, the Spaniard replied on Thursday, “100%.”

He continued, “The players that have been raised in our system and they feel the love and the connection with the club bring something else.

“We need to look after them in a really special way. When we can, we want to protect those assets as much as possible. Develop them and make them very important to the club.”

Lewis-Skelly is said to have a reported price tag of £45million. But going by Arteta’s remarks, it seems he would not entertain such a transfer.

However, Garlick’s comments will certainly keep Arsenal fans on edge in the coming fortnight.

He told the BBC, “We’re not actively looking at selling those homegrown players, but if the right opportunity came up and it was right for them and right for the club, then we’d obviously consider that.”