Mikel Arteta reveals Myles Lewis-Skelly’s Arsenal future has been decided

Mikel Arteta has emphatically declared that Myles Lewis-Skelly will remain at Arsenal beyond the summer.

It was reported last week how the versatile Hale End graduate had been offered to Chelsea and Manchester United.

Getty

Both clubs had previously been made aware of Lewis-Skelly’s potential availability, with United showing interest in a move.

The 19-year-old’s role in the squad this season had been questioned following the £75million arrival of Bruno Guimaraes.

Arteta didn’t pour cold water on the exit rumours as he stated it is a ‘good sign’ that his players are linked with moves to other clubs.

Gunners supporters are desperate for the teenager to not be sold, with the England international establishing himself as a firm fan favourite.

Even former Newcastle and Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew urged the Premier League champions to not sell the youngster – insisting it would be ‘unforgivable’.

Lewis-Skelly once again showcased his supreme talent in his recent outing for Arsenal – just as he had done in the latter stages of the 2025/26 season.

Starting in Sunday’s Community Shield victory over Manchester City, Lewis-Skelly expertly created Riccardo Calafiori’s opener inside 25 seconds.

What has Mikel Arteta said about Myles Lewis-Skelly’s Arsenal future?

Speaking ahead of Friday’s Premier League opener at home to newly-promoted Coventry – live on talkSPORT – Arteta was asked in his press conference as to whether Lewis-Skelly will remain at the club.

To which he simply stated: “100 per cent.”

Arteta was then pressed on whether Arsenal may have to follow suit like many of their top-flight rivals in recent years and sell their academy graduates.

Getty

Like Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri has been tipped to leave north London on a possible loan spell away following his stint at Marseille.

He was left out of the matchday squad for the Community Shield, with it expected he will be shipped out before the window slams shut.

Commenting on Arsenal’s academy graduates, Arteta remarked: “The players that have been raised in our system, and they feel generally that love and that connection with the club, bring something else, there’s no question about that.

“We need to look after them in a really special way because they bring value that is very difficult to find.

That’s why, when we can, we want to protect those assets as much as possible, develop them and make them extremely important for the club.”

And Arteta was also pressed on the difficulty of selling cult heroes, with Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus believed to be up for sale.

Getty

To which the Spaniard remarked: “It’s a really, really tough moment. We need to face that reality.

“But I think you need to face it with a real honesty and transparency because when you are on the other side, that’s exactly what you need.

“You might not like what you’ve been told, but if it’s truthful, if it’s the reality, if it’s honest and it’s going to help you to make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that.

“These are always very difficult conversations, but they need to be done.

“It’s like when a player doesn’t feel that he belongs or he’s important. He wants to have a different chapter. I think that communication has to exist and it has to be both ways.

“We all know that at the end, everything has a start and has an end.

“When it comes to the end, I think our duty, our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship, but understanding that at the end, we need to make football decisions.”