Myles Lewis-Skelly: Man United should rescue this Ashley Cole 2.0 from his Emirates misery | OneFootball

A left-back signing is likely to be on the agenda at Manchester United this summer. A positional change for Patrick Dorgu could well inspire it.

Dorgu impressed while filling in at left wing, and with him now likely to feature more frequently in that role, the Red Devils need to recruit another quality left-back.

While capable targets such as Federico Dimarco and Julian Ryerson have already been linked with a move to M16, that does not stop Manchester United from looking elsewhere.

And if INEOS look around keenly enough, they might just spot a transfer opportunity at Arsenal too good to ignore: Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The teenager enjoyed a brilliant breakout 2024-25 season, impressing in the league, dazzling in the Champions League, and particularly shining in the semi-finals against Real Madrid, whilst also earning a senior England call-up just months after his league debut.

Fast forward to 2025-26, however, and he has endured a nightmare campaign.

Out of the blue, he now appears to have fallen out of Mikel Arteta’s plans, with the Arsenal boss preferring Ricardo Calafiori and summer signing Piero Hincapie over him. Strikingly, at times even right-back Jurrien Timber has been deployed at left-back ahead of him, despite the Hale End graduate massively impressing in the role last season.

Myles Lewis-Skelly's Arsenal appearances across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons

Many have struggled to understand why Lewis-Skelly finds himself in this situation, though most feel it has little to do with his abilities; he showed last season that he is ready to perform on the grandest of stages.

Just like Mainoo

Indeed, Lewis-Skelly’s predicament mirrors the one Kobbie Mainoo faced in the first half of this season: clearly a quality player, yet starved of minutes, which inevitably sparked exit talk.

Some reports suggest Mainoo considered leaving, and so if Lewis-Skelly is similarly ambitious, he should harbour the idea that a move elsewhere could help him live up to the Ashley Cole hype that Arsenal’s former under-16 coach, Dan Micciche, placed on him.

What has been said about Lewis-Skelly’s situation

“The 19-year-old has told Arteta of his major frustrations at a lack of action with the Arsenal manager telling him to be patient,” a report by The Sun claimed. “But his future next season is unclear, and he could be sold or, more likely, loaned.”

Just as they did with Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven, INEOS should contemplate raiding Arsenal for Lewis-Skelly, particularly with these hints that an Emirates exit is plausible.

Why Lewis-Skelly

The 19-year-old fits the Red Devils’ transfer strategy perfectly: he is Premier League-proven, athletic, highly versatile and dynamic, capable of operating not just as a left-back but also as a central defensive midfielder. His signing, therefore, would also directly address two of the Red Devils’ most pressing summer transfer needs: midfield and defence.

The young Gunner has the ability to excite with his exceptional ball-carrying, elite one-v-one duelling, and high-IQ play. Excelling in tight spaces, composed in possession and relentless in his work rate, Lewis-Skelly’s ability to dominate play could offer a real level-up at Old Trafford.

Start at left-back, then move to midfield

He could occupy the left-back role initially, just until Diego Leon or Harry Amass is ready to step in. Once either of the two is set, Lewis-Skelly could then be shifted to his more natural position in central midfield.

That said, Lewis-Skelly signed a new deal in June last year, so convincing Arsenal to part with one of their most promising prospects will not be easy.

However, with Arsenal’s pursuit of Hincapie on a permanent deal suggesting the Ecuadorian’s long-term future lies in north London, it should not be too difficult to persuade the young Gunner that his best path forward lies elsewhere.

United could look to sway him into pushing for an exit and hope that his initiative forces Arsenal to seriously consider cashing in.

Featured image Clive Mason via Getty Images

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social