Exclusive: Myles Lewis-Skelly to Man Utd state of play as Arsenal talks confirmed

Updated: 24 Aug 2026 17:39 BST | 4 min read

Steve Kay | Editor

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FootballTransfers can shed light on the current status of Manchester United's pursuit of Arsenal star Myles Lewis-Skelly.

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The 19-year-old has experienced a whirlwind few months after nailing down a spot in Mikel Arteta's midfield. Lewis-Skelly struggled for regular starting opportunities for much of last season until he was offered an olive branch due to a jaded Martin Zubimendi's flagging form.

Having previously been turned into a left-back by Arteta, the teenager reverted to his natural midfield role and immediately excelled. He grasped his opportunity with both hands and kept his place in the team.

Current ETV

Myles Lewis-Skelly

D (L), M (C)

Arsenal

Myles Lewis-Skelly

D (L), M (C)

Arsenal

ETV Range

€37.7M - €46.1M

Nevertheless, Lewis-Skelly has found himself in the spotlight in this summer transfer window. The signing of Bruno Guimaraes has given rise to suggestions that his place in the team could be under threat.

A sale would certainly make financial sense for Arsenal, as the homegrown would fetch "pure profit" and thus give them significant financial wiggle room for further arrivals. It is also no secret that Man Utd are interested in the versatile player.

Lewis-Skelly to Man Utd: the state of play

On Monday, fresh links with the Red Devils emerged in the media, but FootballTransfers can put the minds of Arsenal supporters at ease - a transfer is highly unlikely, from what we understand.

Well-placed Man Utd sources have confirmed that genuine discussions have been held with Arsenal regarding a potential transfer for Lewis-Skelly this summer. However, there are currently no active talks.

Why? Because Arteta intervened. We understand that the manager was initially not privy to the conversations that were taking place with Man Utd regarding a possible move - and neither was Lewis-Skelly, for that matter.

Once Arteta got wind of it, negotiations stopped immediately. The message from the Spaniard is quite clear: Lewis-Skelly is going nowhere, a desire that is also shared by the player.

There is now ample evidence that Arteta trusts Lewis-Skelly to perform in midfield, and after starting both of Arsenal's competitive games in this nascent season, the 19-year-old will fancy his chances that he can come out on top in his battle for minutes with Zubimendi.

With Guimaraes having been forced to miss Arsenal's win over Coventry after suffering a minor fitness issue in the Community Shield, Arteta will surely be even more reluctant to entertain the thought of Lewis-Skelly leaving before the deadline.

It would require quite an extraordinary turn of events for Lewis-Skelly to join Man Utd this summer.