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Manchester United have reportedly added Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly to their list of potential summer signings.
The Red Devils are looking to strengthen their left back position and were previously linked with Newcastle United's Lewis Hall, but it now seems they have expanded their search across the Premier League.
According to Sky Sports News, Lewis-Skelly is the latest player being considered, despite being a natural central midfielder who has spent his entire senior career operating at left back.
Would Lewis-Skelly Leave Arsenal for Man Utd?
Arsenal hold Lewis-Skelly in very high esteem, and understandably so. The 19-year-old has long been regarded as one of England's brightest young talents, a reputation he had established well before his senior debut in September 2024.
Of his 66 appearances for Arsenal, 27 have come this season, yet they amount to just over 1,000 minutes of action. Lewis-Skelly has started only once in the Premier League and has not featured off the bench since January 8.
Lewis-Skelly has become a casualty of Arsenal's relentless pursuit of immediate success, with Arteta assembling a squad of top-level players at the cost of promising youngsters who still require time to develop. Ethan Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly's close academy companion, was loaned out to Marseille after just six Premier League outings in the first half of the campaign.
At Lewis-Skelly's newly adopted position of left back, Arsenal have brought in both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié, leaving the young player with very little opportunity in the starting lineup.
His lack of playing time has also seen Lewis-Skelly drop out of the England setup, with national team boss Thomas Tuchel making it clear that consistent club football is a prerequisite for any international recall.
Having been at Arsenal since the age of eight, Lewis-Skelly dreams of succeeding at the club, but at this pivotal point in his development, he may soon face a difficult decision about whether pursuing regular first-team football elsewhere is the right move for his career.
United are in the market for a first-choice left back and would likely need to make a substantial financial commitment to secure Lewis-Skelly — the kind of investment that would all but guarantee him a regular starting berth.
Arsenal's Stance on Lewis-Skelly Exit
Arsenal are well aware of Lewis-Skelly's lack of game time. The club acknowledged a similar issue with Nwaneri and sent him out on loan in January, but Arteta chose to retain Lewis-Skelly for the rest of the season in order to maintain defensive cover.
The prospect of a loan move in the summer has been frequently discussed and is unlikely to pose major difficulties for Arsenal, who would welcome the chance to see Lewis-Skelly develop further in both quality and market value during a temporary stint away from the Emirates.
However, would Arsenal sanction a loan move to United specifically? Almost certainly not — at least not without a substantial purchase obligation built into any deal.
Arsenal are not believed to be open to a permanent sale of Lewis-Skelly and would require an enormous fee before even entering negotiations. That asking price would climb even higher if the interested party were a direct competitor like United, who would inevitably face a premium compared to clubs lower in the Premier League standings or those based abroad.
There will be a figure at which a deal becomes possible — every player has their price — but United may be reluctant to meet such demands during a summer where they are expected to invest heavily in at least one new central midfielder. That spending alone could approach $268 million (£200 million), making a hefty outlay on Lewis-Skelly potentially unworkable.
Lewis-Skelly's own wishes, which have not yet been made public, could prove decisive in shaping his future. However, having signed a new five-year contract just last summer, Arsenal are under minimal pressure to part ways with the 19-year-old.