Fabrizio Romano reveals ‘message’ from Myles Lewis-Skelly about leaving Arsenal for Chelsea: ‘I can guarantee’ | OneFootball

Fabrizio Romano has revealed the message that he has been given from Myles Lewis-Skelly’s camp about leaving Arsenal in the January transfer window and joining Chelsea to work under manager Enzo Maresca, as TEAMtalk reveals why the Blues are keen on the teenage left-back.

Chelsea have raided their Premier League rivals for top young talents in recent years, with Cole Palmer (Manchester City), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) and Moises Caicedo (Brighton and Hove Albion) being three prime examples. It is now almost a given that any emerging talent will be on Chelsea’s radar, and Lewis-Skelly falls into that category.

There have been reports in the English media that Chelsea are keen on Lewis-Skelly, with last season’s Conference League winners having done ‘background checks’ on the left-back.

Lewis-Skelly has not made a single start in the Premier League for Arsenal so far this season, and Chelsea are said to be planning a raid for the left-back in the January transfer window.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported last month that Arsenal have no plans to offload Lewis-Skelly in the middle of the season.

The transfer insider reiterated that claim on Monday evening and also revealed that the 19-year-old England international left-back himself has no plans to cross the London divide anytime soon.

Romano said about Lewis-Skelly on his YouTube channel: “There are always rumours about Lewis-Skelly.

“During the international break, rumours about loan, maybe Crystal Palace, maybe West Ham, go, play, World Cup – no chance. Arsenal don’t want Lewis-Skelly to leave.

“And there are rumours about Chelsea. Today in England, rumours about Chelsea considering a permanent transfer proposal for Myles Lewis-Skelly.

“Forget about that. Lewis-Skelly is Arsenal. Arsenal are very happy with Lewis-Skelly, and they are not considering to part ways. Lewis-Skelly is seen as a really, really, really important part of the squad – super appreciated by Arsenal.

“I don’t know whether these rumours are always coming from constantly about Lewis-Skelly, but he’s part of the project. He’s not leaving in January. Arsenal want to keep the player and trust the player. That’s the message I am getting today from both, player side and club’s side.

“So when what happens in the next years, I don’t know, but, as of today, I can guarantee, 100%, that all these stories are not true.

“Interest in Lewis-Skelly, guys, is normal. Who is not appreciating that kind of fantastic talent, but there is nothing really concrete to it, because for Arsenal. He’s a really, really important player.

“So, that’s important to clarify, and also Arsenal will not be stupid to wait till January and then maybe lose a player. They are competing to be on point on all competitions, and then maybe you lose an important player.”

Why Chelsea think Lewis-Skelly transfer possible – sources

TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, reported on November 25 that Arsenal do not want to sell Lewis-Skelly to Chelsea.

We can also reveal what makes Chelsea think that they have a chance of convincing the 19-year-old to switch clubs.

Although the youngster has made three starts in the Champions League, he is not the first-choice left-back at Arsenal and has played only 133 minutes in the Premier League for Mikel Arteta’s side so far this season.

Jones told TEAMtalk: “One thing becoming quite clear is that Chelsea have become intrigued by his lack of game time though.

“We have seen how they try their luck with players when they sense they might be frustrated. This could be one of those cases.

“There is no way Arsenal would let him join Chelsea midway through this season but at a time when Chelsea are starting to look at new defensive options, I have been told that they do have him as one of the players on their list.”

Jones noted about Arsenal’s stance: “I don’t think they see too much benefit to loaning him out during a season when they are going for the title.

“You want players that can help you in a crisis, help you manage tough moments, and he understands exactly what Arteta has been trying to achieve.

“He knows the role, the style, and he continues to be spoken about as a player for the long-term.

“Don’t forget, he’s had big interest in the past. Real Madrid have even scouted him at times.

“I think his aim has been to just become a regular player at Arsenal first and that has its own challenges when the team is working towards something so significant this season.”

Meanwhile, sources have told TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, that Arsenal are planning an ambitious raid on Bayern Munich for a world-class winger.

TEAMtalk also understands that Arsenal are keen on a Bundesliga sensation, but there is competition from Manchester United.