Man Utd Plot Ambitious Move for Arsenal Star in Summer Rebuild—Report

The Red Devils are ready to spend big on a number of positions.

Man Utd are plotting an ambitious summer. | Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Getty Images

Manchester United have added Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly to their list of summer transfer targets, a report has revealed.

The Red Devils want to bolster at left back and were recently linked with Lewis Hall of Newcastle United, but it appears as though their net has been cast wider across the Premier League.

According to Sky Sports News, the latest name under consideration is Lewis-Skelly, a central midfielder by trade even though his entire senior career has been spent at left back.

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Would Lewis-Skelly Leave Arsenal for Man Utd?

Myles Lewis-Skelly has struggled for minutes. | Glyn KIRK/AFP/Getty Images

Arsenal officials are known to hold Lewis-Skelly in high regard, and for good reason. The 19-year-old has long been hailed as one of England’s finest prospects, earning that reputation well before his senior debut in September 2024.

Of his 66 appearances for Arsenal, 27 have come this season, but they have added up to just over 1,000 minutes. Lewis-Skelly has started just once in the Premier League and has not even made it off the bench since Jan. 8.

Lewis-Skelly has fallen victim to Arsenal’s immediate search for success, which has seen Arteta load his squad with elite players at the expense of talented youngsters who still need time to build up their experience. Ethan Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly’s long-time academy friend, was sent out on loan to Marseille after just six Premier League appearances in the first half of the season.

In Lewis-Skelly’s newly discovered position of left back, Arsenal have recruited both Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié, leaving the youngster forced to feed off scraps in the lineup.

His limited minutes have also seen Lewis-Skelly tumble out of the England squad, with international manager Thomas Tuchel making it abundantly clear he needs to play more if he wants to return to the team.

Lewis-Skelly, having been with Arsenal since he was eight, has dreams of making it at the Gunners but, at this crucial stage of his development, may soon be forced into an uncomfortable decision as he weighs up whether leaving in search of regular minutes is best for his career.

United want a new starting left back and would likely be forced into a significant financial commitment to sign Lewis-Skelly, the sort of investment which would effectively guarantee him a permanent role in the team.

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Arsenal’s Stance on Lewis-Skelly Exit

Lewis-Skelly could be incredibly expensive. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Lewis-Skelly’s struggle for minutes is not lost on Arsenal. Club officials recognized the challenge facing Nwaneri and sent him out on loan in January, but Arteta wanted more defensive depth and opted to keep hold of Lewis-Skelly for the remainder of the season.

The idea of his own loan exit in the summer has been regularly floated and is unlikely to be too problematic for Arsenal, who would hope to see Lewis-Skelly grow in both ability and value during a temporary spell away from the Emirates.

However, would Arsenal agree to send Lewis-Skelly to United on loan? Almost certainly not, at least not without a significant purchase clause in any agreement.

Arsenal are not thought to be keen to sell Lewis-Skelly permanently and would demand a huge fee to even entertain talks. That price tag would rise further if the interest came from a direct rival like United, who would undoubtedly have to pay a premium compared to any other team further down the Premier League table or abroad.

There will be a number—every player has a price tag—but United may decline to bid so high during a summer in which they are expected to splash out on at least one new central midfielder. That shopping spree could cost close to $268 million (£200 million) alone, so a bumper fee on Lewis-Skelly may simply not be feasible.

Lewis-Skelly’s personal stance, not currently public, may play a huge rule in deciding his future, but the 19-year-old only signed a new five-year contract last summer, meaning Arsenal are under very little pressure to sell.

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