- Manchester United eye up Arsenal star
- Left-back has had limited gametime this season
- Could be Luke Shaw’s future successor
Manchester United are reportedly continuing to keep tabs on Arsenal left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has been handed limited game time at the Emirates. The 2024/25 campaign marked Lewis-Skelly’s breakthrough as a Gunners star.
The youngster featured in a myriad of matches for Mikel Arteta’s side, including both legs of the Champions League semi-final against eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain. But this season tells a different story.
With Arteta favouring Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie, opportunities have become scarce, and Lewis-Skelly has drifted to the fringes. Across all competitions, he has logged just 1,448 minutes—barely half the 2,543 he amassed last year.
In Arsenal’s crunch fixture against Manchester City on 19 April, Lewis-Skelly remained on the bench throughout as the Gunners allowed the title to slip completely from their grasp in a 2-1 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s side.
Man United Tracking Lewis-Skelly
For the past few months, Lewis-Skelly has lingered on the sidelines without a second thought from Arteta. Born just seven miles away from the Emirates Stadium in Denmark Hill, the 19-year-old joined the club at the age of eight and has remained ever since.
A Hale End academy graduate, Lewis-Skelly should command stronger minutes after delivering an exemplary debut season.
Of course, Arteta must manage his minutes due to his age, but the Englishman has received just 402 minutes across 15 Premier League matches—an average of 26 minutes per game—which has not only seen his potential plateau, but has also diminished his chances of making the 2026 England World Cup squad.
Now, the left-back, dubbed “outstanding”, must weigh up opportunities away from the Emirates. A report from TEAMtalk (via centredevils) claims that United are “continuing to track” the English full-back.
Arsenal will reportedly be “listening to offers” for Lewis-Skelly and his teammate Ethan Nwaneri as the two academy players represent “pure profit” margins for the Gunners if sold.
With Arsenal looking to sign a myriad of players in the summer—including the likes of Newcastle’s Tino Livramento and Anthony Gordon—the London-based side must sell to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
This could lead to Lewis-Skelly, among others, receiving his marching orders from a club he has devoted his life to.
Luke Shaw’s Successor?
There is no doubt that Manchester United need a plan to oversee Luke Shaw’s successor. After an extremely poor oversight which saw Alvaro Carreras sold to Benfica—and later Real Madrid—United have been left with a blank page at left-back.
Shaw is currently enjoying an exemplary season. In the Premier League alone, he has started every game and remains on track for his highest number of appearances in a single campaign.
But there is no doubt injuries have taken their toll. Across a 14-season playing career, the left-back has suffered 30 separate injuries, keeping him sidelined for 2,184 days—five years and 359 days.
Shaw no longer possesses the role he once did. He cannot make those daring overlapping runs that once defined his game. And whilst he has performed well this season, he still feels like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off with an injury at any moment.
Lewis-Skelly offers a younger, fresher option at left-back who can learn from Shaw in the coming seasons, ready to make his mark in a different shade of red.
