Chelsea have rejected the chance to sign Myles Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal, according to reports. The 19-year-old started just five Premier League games last season but a strong end to the campaign saw Mikel Arteta select him in a midfield role for Arsenal’s defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
Approach from an intermediary
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea have been given the opportunity to sign Lewis-Skelly for £45m following an approach from an intermediary. However, Chelsea turned down the approach and have instead opted to sign Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano.
The report adds that Manchester United were also contacted but they ‘flatly turned down’ the chance to sign Lewis-Skelly from Arsenal.
Lewis-Skelly wants to stay
Meanwhile, The Athletic reports that Lewis-Skelly wants to remain at Arsenal and is focused on securing a regular role under Arteta in the upcoming season. The report adds that Lewis-Skelly is not exploring a move away from Arsenal, while the club are not actively looking to sell the England international.
Lewis-Skelly’s hopes of securing more minutes in Arsenal’s midfield will be dented by the club’s decision to sign Bruno Guimaraes in a £75 million deal from Newcastle United.
Arteta praises mentality
Speaking at the end of last season, Arteta praised Lewis-Skelly’s mentality after he was overlooked for a starting role for the majority of Arsenal’s Premier League title-winning campaign. ‘I’ve been tough on him. He had a spectacular season last year when he jumped into the first team,’ Arteta said. ‘He had some difficult moments after that but he stayed very humble, very focused, very aligned with what we wanted to do, and I knew he was ready. ‘He’s been showing in training every day the opportunities that he had to play. He’s done it and today he really stepped up and I thought he had an incredible performance.’
