Jamie Carragher has questioned Arsenal's reported willingness to sell academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly, describing any potential departure as a 'strange' decision. The Premier League champions have reportedly offered the 19-year-old England international to both Manchester United and Chelsea, according to multiple reports.
Lewis-Skelly's Breakthrough Season
Lewis-Skelly endured a frustrating start to the previous campaign but forced his way into Mikel Arteta's starting lineup during the business end of the season. He became the second-youngest Englishman to start a Champions League final when Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties. Despite his growing importance to the team, Arsenal are believed to be open to offers after completing a £75million deal for Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.
Additional reports indicate that Lewis-Skelly is keen to remain at Arsenal and fight for his place, but Carragher believes the Gunners would be making a significant error if they cashed in on the teenager.
Carragher's Concerns
'That's the thing that was a little bit strange about it,' Carragher told The Overlap Fan Debate with Sky Bet. 'It felt almost like Arsenal offered Manchester United Myles Lewis-Skelly. It wasn't Myles Lewis-Skelly saying, I want to leave, or his people putting something out. That's where the shock came from, not so much the players' side of it.'
Carragher continued: 'I still can't believe it. Obviously, last season wasn't great for him for the whole season, but when a young player has already put in performances like I've seen him put in at the Bernabeu – maybe over a year or 18 months ago, at left-back, he was running the game at the Bernabeu – and then his performance in the final in central midfield against Paris Saint-Germain. You can't play at that level unless you're pretty special at that age. All young players have ups and downs. Last season he didn't play as much as he probably would have liked. But his ceiling is so high for the performances he's already put in as a 20-year-old kid. I couldn't believe that Arsenal would even think about letting him go. It does feel like a strange one.'
Arteta's Response and Transfer Activity
Lewis-Skelly, who is under contract until 2030, scored during Arsenal's friendly win over Como on Wednesday and celebrated by making a heart shape with his hands towards the crowd at the Emirates. However, Arteta remained tight-lipped about the midfielder's future after the game, insisting: 'I'm not going to talk about any speculation. If there is a speculation about our players, that's a good sign. That means that we attract attention and they're doing a good job.'
Elsewhere, Arsenal are still looking to strengthen defensively and in wide forward areas ahead of the new season. The Gunners have made a second approach for Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, while the latest reports suggest they have also opened talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah.
The club's transfer activity continues as they aim to build on their Premier League title success, but Carragher's comments highlight the potential risk of letting a homegrown talent like Lewis-Skelly slip away.
