Myles Lewis-Skelly: The Next Big Signing for Manchester United or 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 at up to £70 million.

According to reports, Arsenal have offered the 19-year-old England international to both clubs this summer after a season in which he grew from frustrated squad player to key figure in a title-winning side.

From fringe to title driver

Lewis-Skelly’s 2025-26 campaign started slowly. Minutes were scarce, opportunities limited. Then the run-in arrived.

Mikel Arteta turned to the academy product when it mattered most and the youngster responded, forcing his way into the XI during the business end of the season. By the finish line, he had become a crucial part of the team that delivered the Premier League title and powered Arsenal all the way to the Champions League final.

That kind of trajectory usually means a club shuts the door on any transfer talk. Arsenal, though, are listening.

The Gunners have just pushed through a £75 million deal for Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, a major midfield investment that has opened the door for potential outgoings. Lewis-Skelly is one of the names on the table.

‘Press the green button and buy him’

Ferdinand made his stance crystal clear on his YouTube channel, insisting United, in particular, cannot afford to let this chance pass.

“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, the numbers stack up. A 19-year-old, already an England international, already proven in a title race, already trusted in Champions League knockout football – at a fee many clubs now pay for potential alone.

Solving two problems at once

What really excites Ferdinand is not just Lewis-Skelly’s quality in midfield, but the tactical flexibility he would hand Erik ten Hag.

The youngster can operate across the middle of the pitch, but he has also shown he can step in at left-back – an area where United’s depth looks thin.

“He’s young, a huge talent, can play in two positions and I think mentally he’s made of the right stuff,” Ferdinand said.

United leaned heavily on Luke Shaw last season. The England defender stayed fit and played regularly, but behind him the options are awkward fits rather than natural solutions. Patrick Dorgu is now viewed more as a left-winger. Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot can fill in, yet neither is a true left-back.

“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,” Ferdinand explained. “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 often struggled to balance its full-back options with its midfield needs, one player covering both roles carries obvious appeal.

A rising England international at a crossroads

Lewis-Skelly’s rise has been rapid. Since making his senior debut for boyhood club Arsenal in 2024, he has already racked up 75 first-team appearances. His club form pushed him into the England setup, earning six caps.

Even so, he missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s recent World Cup squad, a reminder that his international career is still in its early chapters and his next club move could shape it.

Arsenal’s stance is clear enough: after signing Guimaraes, they are open to selling if the right offer lands. The ball now sits with United and Chelsea. Do they turn admiration into a formal bid, or watch a Premier League rival steal in?

A switch to Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge would keep Lewis-Skelly in the division where he has already proved he belongs. The question is who will move first – and which club is willing to “get the chequebook out” for a teenager who looks ready to define the next decade.