Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly linked with Premier League interest amid pre-season preparations
Myles Lewis-Skelly, 19, is the subject of transfer speculation while involved in Arsenal’s pre-season, with reports on Tuesday, 12 August 2026, linking the academy graduate to other Premier League clubs as he prepares with the first team.
Lewis-Skelly has made 75 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions and rose to prominence in 2024-25, earning a place in the England squad and becoming the youngest man to score on his Three Lions debut; he was subsequently given a new five-year contract. Last season he slipped down the pecking order at Arsenal behind Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie and the club considered listening to offers, with club sources indicating in April they would look to recoup a minimum combined £100m for Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.
His strong finish to the previous campaign, in which he featured in his natural position of centre midfield, has prompted debate over his status and may have influenced discussions in this transfer window; Lewis-Skelly has been one of the standout performers during pre-season, starting the past two friendlies as Arsenal prepare for the Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday. With a number of midfielders returning late from the World Cup and new signing Bruno Guimaraes still acclimatising, there is scope for him to compete for first-team minutes.
One source told BBC Sport that Lewis-Skelly was offered to Manchester United in January, but Arsenal say they have not actively offered him to anyone. Manchester United’s most recent signing in the left-back position, Patrick Dorgu, has been used in an advanced role throughout this pre-season; Dorgu was mostly injured after Michael Carrick took charge but all of his Premier League appearances under the United boss were on the wing or in a wide attacking role. Luke Shaw started every Premier League game last season but his overall fitness record is patchy, and United have been linked with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, though they accept it would be difficult to sign him, particularly after the departures of Sandro Tonali and Guimaraes from the club.
Chelsea also say they have been offered the chance to sign Lewis-Skelly, but Arsenal maintain they have not offered the player to any other team. Chelsea already have two left-backs in Jorrel Hato and new signing Pep Chavarria and are not in Europe, so they are not expected to sign a third left-back to supplement their squad; Chelsea also have six central midfielders, although it is possible Enzo Fernandez could be sold and Dario Essugo leaves on loan.
Lewis-Skelly has made it clear that he wants to stay at Arsenal and is focused on working to try to establish himself as a first team regular at the club. Arsenal are looking to sell members of their squad before the transfer window closes, with Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli described as available if a suitable offer was made, while Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are not part of Mikel Arteta's plans.
Arsenal invested heavily last summer, bringing in eight players for £250m, and have spent over £100m in this window already while still looking to add more players before the deadline; they have sold Christian Norgaard to Everton for £7m and Leandro Trossard to Besiktas for about £15m. As an academy graduate, if Lewis-Skelly is sold he would present "pure profit" in the club's accounts — a phrase Lewis-Skelly himself used, writing the caption "pure profit" on a picture of himself with the Premier League trophy when Arsenal celebrated the title at Selhurst Park on the final day of last season — but the introduction of the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules means any sale will now be spread evenly over the length of a player's contract rather than showing an immediate boost.
At the moment it does not look like a move for Lewis-Skelly is imminent, but that does not mean his future at Arsenal is certain; his immediate involvement comes as Arsenal prepare to contest the Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday.
