Myles Lewis-Skelly: A Bargain Solution for Manchester United and Chelsea

Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United and Chelsea to stop hesitating and throw serious money at Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly, insisting the teenager could be a bargain solution to two problems at once.

According to reports, Arsenal have offered the 19-year-old England international to both clubs this summer, with the Metro claiming the Premier League champions are prepared to listen to bids after completing a £75 million move for Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle.

From slow start to title driver

Lewis-Skelly’s season did not begin like that of a future cornerstone. He had to wait, watching on as others held down places in Mikel Arteta’s side. But once he broke through in the closing months of the 2025-26 campaign, he stayed there.

He forced his way into the XI during the run-in, then became a key part of the team that dragged Arsenal over the line in the title race and into the Champions League final. Those performances have not gone unnoticed.

Despite that rise and his growing influence in North London, Arsenal are believed to be open to cashing in. The arrival of Guimaraes has crowded an already stacked midfield and created an opportunity for rivals to pounce.

Ferdinand: “Press the green button”

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand did not bother with subtlety. He wants United to move now.

“If I’m Manchester United right now I say press the green button and buy him, take him, right now,” he said. “What a player, a top player. He was a massive part of the team when he was brought in towards the end of the season. He contributed to Arsenal winning the league, he was brilliant and came in and produced.

“If he’s on the market and he’s a good price you have to take him. The good price I’m saying is £60m or £70m. If that’s the case, get the chequebook out, slap it down and sign him. No questions asked, I would take him.”

For Ferdinand, that fee range represents value in a market where elite, versatile young talent rarely comes cheap.

The tactical jigsaw piece United lack

What really excites him is not just Lewis-Skelly’s work in midfield. It’s the flexibility.

Beyond his ability to operate centrally, Ferdinand highlighted the teenager’s capacity to slot in at left-back as a major draw for United. Luke Shaw enjoyed a relatively injury-free season and played heavily, but behind him the depth chart is thin.

Ferdinand pointed out that Patrick Dorgu is now viewed more as a left-winger, while Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot are both more comfortable on the right or as inverted options rather than as orthodox left-backs. Lewis-Skelly, he argued, would instantly close that gap.

“He’s young, a huge talent, can play in two positions and I think mentally he’s made of the right stuff,” Ferdinand said. “The left-back position at Manchester United is not a problem because we’ve got Luke Shaw who played a lot of games last season and stayed fit.

“But if he does get injured we haven’t got a natural left-back sitting there. Dorgu is more of a left-winger now and Mazraoui and Dalot aren’t full left-backs. So that’s an area I think you can bring in someone like Myles Lewis-Skelly and he can play man, definitely.”

For a squad that has repeatedly been exposed by injuries in key areas, that kind of two-for-one signing is rare.

A rising career at a crossroads

Lewis-Skelly has already packed plenty into the early stages of his senior career. Since making his first-team debut for his boyhood club in 2024, he has racked up 75 appearances for Arsenal, growing from academy prospect to reliable first-team option.

His club form propelled him into the England setup, where he has collected six caps. Even so, he missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s recent World Cup squad, a reminder that competition for places at international level is unforgiving.

Now comes the pivotal decision. Arsenal’s stance has been made clear by the Guimaraes deal and their willingness to entertain offers. The next move lies with United and Chelsea.

Do they turn admiration into a formal bid and test Arsenal’s resolve? Or does a player who has just helped deliver a title stay put and fight for minutes in a congested midfield?

Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge would keep Lewis-Skelly in the Premier League spotlight. The question is who is brave enough to “press the green button” first.