Chelsea make enquiry for Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly amid Manchester United interest
Chelsea have reportedly made a new enquiry regarding the signing of Arsenal midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Blues have shown long-term interest in the player and have checked on his availability again following Arsenal‘s acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes.
However, Arsenal is reportedly reluctant to sell Lewis-Skelly to a rival club, particularly one they might compete with for top positions this season. Chelsea had previously been linked with Lewis-Skelly in January.
Interest from Manchester United
Manchester United also maintains a long-standing interest in Lewis-Skelly. The club is currently evaluating whether to commit to signing another midfielder or a left-back before the transfer deadline. There are questions about whether United would be able to pursue additional significant deals if they were to make a move for Lewis-Skelly.
This interest comes amidst a market where central-midfield players are commanding high prices this summer, although Lewis-Skelly is capable of playing in multiple positions. Lewis-Skelly, who signed a five-year contract last summer, is thought to have a prospective price in the region of £45m.
Manchester United‘s summer spending includes Youri Tielemans‘ £35m transfer from Aston Villa and Andrey Santos‘ arrival for £48m plus £2m in add-ons from Chelsea.
Newcastle‘s Lewis Hall remains a primary target for United. However, after losing Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, Newcastle‘s new manager, Matthias Jaissle, is reportedly keen to retain the 21-year-old England international. RB Leipzig‘s David Raum is another left-back option United may consider.
Arsenal’s squad considerations
Arsenal aims to be ambitious this summer, but there is an acknowledgment that player sales will be necessary. Players like Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly would represent pure profit for the club.
Despite celebrating the Premier League title in May, Lewis-Skelly experienced a challenging campaign last season. He made only five league starts and 36 appearances across all competitions in 2025-26. However, in May, Mikel Arteta deployed Lewis-Skelly in a new midfield role during a crucial title run-in match against Fulham, where he was named Man of the Match.
He remained in the midfield for the remainder of the run-in, which included the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. Lewis-Skelly has also demonstrated his ability at left-back, playing 180 minutes in defence when Arsenal defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League.
The arrival of Bruno Guimaraes for £75m has potentially impacted Lewis-Skelly‘s role in the Arsenal midfield. Arsenal‘s most expensive players are now Guimaraes and Declan Rice. The club’s midfield options also include Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino.
There are reasons for Arsenal to retain Lewis-Skelly, especially given the significant minutes played by key midfielder Declan Rice over the past year. Rice played in all but two of the Premier League, Champions League, and Carabao Cup games between January 1 and the end of last season.
England manager Thomas Tuchel noted that Rice was in “a lot of pain” by the time of the World Cup, where he was substituted regularly. This suggests Arsenal may need to rotate Rice more often, potentially creating opportunities for Lewis-Skelly.
However, Arsenal also has Zubimendi and Merino as rotation options for Rice. With the club needing to address other areas and improve its record for player sales, Lewis-Skelly‘s future presents a complex decision. Arteta has indicated that important decisions will be made this summer to elevate the team’s performance.
Meanwhile, Chelsea has had a busy summer, spending over £300m on new signings. Maxence Lacroix and Marco Palestra have joined to strengthen the centre and right of the defence, respectively. Morgan Rogers became the club’s record signing at a cost of £117m.
Chelsea also has a gap on the left side of their defence after Marc Cucurella‘s £52m move to Real Madrid. Jorrel Hato, who featured for the Netherlands at the World Cup, served as Cucurella‘s deputy at left-back.
In other news, Mason Mount missed training at United‘s County Kildare summer training camp due to a knock he sustained on a foot in a recent match against Paris Saint-Germain. The 27-year-old midfielder’s absence is understood to be a precautionary measure, and he is expected to miss Wednesday’s pre-season friendly against Leeds at Croke Park. This game at the 81,300 capacity venue is a sell-out.
United‘s final friendly before Michael Carrick‘s team begins the season at Hull on Saturday week is against Milan in Wroclaw on Saturday.
Source: skysports.com
