Arsenal make Myles Lewis-Skelly stance clear after Man Utd and Chelsea links

Arsenal have made their Myles Lewis-Skelly stance increasingly clear after the 19-year-old was linked with transfers to Manchester United and Chelsea.

Chief executive Richard Garlick has publicly backed the Hale End graduate and stressed Arsenal’s desire to retain their best players, despite recent uncertainty surrounding Lewis-Skelly’s future.

His comments arrive after increased competition in Mikel Arteta’s midfield following the signing of Bruno Guimaraes.

“Everyone’s very confident – Mikel’s contract will be resolved very shortly”

I asked Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick about Mikel Arteta’s future, & whether he wants academy products Myles Lewis-Skelly & Ethan Nwaneri to stay – or if the club needs to sell ⬇️#arsenal #arsenalfc pic.twitter.com/Ivsvrc0bWH

— Dan Roan (@danroan) August 18, 2026

Myles Lewis-Skelly Arsenal future becomes clearer

Garlick told talkSPORT that Arsenal are “very happy” with Lewis-Skelly and remain determined to retain and develop their leading talent.

That is a significant public message following reports connecting the England international with Manchester United and Chelsea.

It does not guarantee Lewis-Skelly will remain at the Emirates beyond the transfer window. Arsenal have significant depth in midfield and Garlick also acknowledged the importance of player trading.

However, his comments make it increasingly difficult to view Lewis-Skelly as a player Arsenal are actively looking to push towards the exit.

His performances are helping his case.

Lewis-Skelly started in central midfield as Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Community Shield, playing the pass that released Riccardo Calafiori in the build-up to the opening goal.

ReadArsenal recently looked at how Lewis-Skelly could save Arsenal a potential £51million transfer decision after impressing in a position Arteta had previously been considering strengthening.

Competition will still be intense.

Bruno Guimaraes, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard leave Arteta with several established midfield options, while Lewis-Skelly’s ability to operate in more than one position could prove increasingly valuable.

The key difference now is Arsenal’s public stance.

Transfer links with Manchester United and Chelsea created genuine uncertainty around Lewis-Skelly, but Garlick has now made it clear that Arsenal remain extremely positive about one of their most highly rated academy graduates.

Unless that position changes before the window closes, Lewis-Skelly appears to have a significant role still to play under Arteta.