Arsenal legend Ian Wright has called on Gunners' fans to lay off Myles Lewis-Skelly's mum amid ongoing transfer speculation about his future at the Emirates Stadium.
The Hale End academy graduate has been the subject of reported transfer interest from Chelsea and Manchester United in recent weeks, though the player has made it clear he's happy to stay at Arsenal.
The 19-year-old burst onto the scene in the 2024-25 campaign, nailing down the left-back position as his own, but struggled for consistent game time in that position. The lack of game time resulted in speculation about his future at the club, before playing his way back into the side in his more natural midfield position towards the end of last season.
Wright Defends Lewis-Skelly's Mum
The arrival of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United has cast further doubts over his long-term future at the club, but Wright has been left baffled by the source of these transfer claims. Lewis-Skelly's mum Marcia acts as the player's agent and Wright says fans need to stop accusing her of touting her son around for a transfer.
Speaking on The Overlap, Stick to Football, Wright said: "I don't know where that is coming from, because I know for a fact it's not coming from his team. It's not coming from his mum."
"Arsenal fans need to chill out with his mum. Saying that his mum is touting him about. Myles has already said that he's happy to stay."
"Why haven't Arsenal just said 'he's not for sale?'"
Transfer Speculation and Club Business
Gary Neville felt it would be a great signing for Manchester United, before Jamie Carragher said: "Stuff like that doesn't come out without something, does it?"
"There's things happening," Wright responded. "This again is something I'm worried about with Arsenal is the way we're doing our business. Intermediaries - how is that story happening when we know for a fact they want to stay and they're happy?"
"Martinelli has not been contacted by anyone at the club but is being touted about everywhere. Who is doing that? Why is that happening?"
Carragher added: "I read a newspaper the other day Wright, talking about Arsenal, and they've spent a lot of money over the last few years. They almost said they need a sale."
"Whether that was to do with FFP, so I didn't know with him being a local player [Lewis-Skelly] if that money was straight banked."
Academy Talent and Pure Profit
Wright said: "The thing is Jamie, they're saying we need to sell, how can we then be in for Vini Jr? We're trying to break records to try and sign this guy."
"But then now we're desperate to sell? We've got a big squad and some players have to leave. It seems that everyone leaving Arsenal is going to Turkiye, that's another thing."
Neville said: "The way I saw it Wrighty, he's got Calafiori and Hincapie, then in midfield he's got two or three in there. I'm wondering whether he thinks he can bring in £60m or £70m in for him."
"Of course you're going to think that," Wright replied. "The unfortunate thing that happens when you get a player that comes out of the academy and breaks into the first team and does what they're doing."
"They always have that pure profit on them. It's the same with Ethan Nwaneri. I'm hearing now that they're not going to sell him, they're going to loan him."
"Which I'm pleased about because I don't think at any stage he's had a run or a go at playing in that team. So when you've got someone like Myles who is playing well - you've seen how he's played, the games he played last season against Fulham."
"Then the Champions League and it's unbelievable what he's capably of doing. Of course Man United are looking to see if something can happen because they've seen Guimaraes come in, Declan Rice doing well."
"Again, he doesn't want to leave. That's the thing that is really baffling me, it's why Arsenal don't just come out and say he's not for sale."
Roy Keane asked what if someone offered £200million for Lewis-Skelly and made it clear that everyone is for sale at the right price.
