Mikel Arteta says he’s completely confident academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly will remain an Arsenal player once the transfer window closes, despite interest from Chelsea earlier this summer and long-standing admiration from Manchester United. The teenager started Arsenal’s Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in May and has continued to be highly rated within the club.
Arteta’s Message on Lewis-Skelly
Speaking ahead of Friday’s Premier League opener against Coventry, Arteta gave an emphatic response when asked directly whether he was confident Lewis-Skelly would stay at the club, simply stating his certainty was total. He went on to explain the particular value academy-raised players bring, describing the emotional connection those players feel toward the club as something genuinely difficult to find elsewhere, and stressed the responsibility Arsenal have to protect, develop and ultimately make such players central to the team’s future.
Arsenal’s Approach to Difficult Exits
Arteta was also asked whether Arsenal need to have frank conversations about letting other players move on, with Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri all linked with departures this summer. He acknowledged it’s a genuinely difficult moment for the club but said those conversations need to be approached with honesty and transparency something he believes players themselves would want if the situation were reversed.
Arteta reflected on the reality that every player’s time at a club eventually comes to an end, and that Arsenal’s responsibility is to handle those moments with respect and appreciation for what the player has given the club, even when the decisions themselves are difficult. He confirmed those individual conversations are ongoing behind the scenes, while stressing his preference for keeping as large and competitive a squad as possible, having learned lessons from previous seasons particularly last year’s injury crisis across multiple positions. Ultimately, he said the priority remains ensuring every player in the squad feels valued and important, regardless of squad depth.
Is Arsenal a “Bad Selling Club”?
Arsenal’s biggest all-time sale remains the £35 million Liverpool paid for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain nine years ago, prompting the question of whether the club struggles to generate significant transfer income. Arteta pushed back on the framing, arguing it’s less about being good or bad at selling and more a reflection of the specific players, contracts and circumstances involved at any given time.
He suggested Arsenal’s current squad quality may itself explain the pattern, alongside the reality that plenty of players are simply happy to stay rather than seek an exit a factor that complicates any sale regardless of a club’s wishes. On whether Arsenal need to sell in order to reinvest, Arteta pointed to the club’s broader financial and sporting growth in recent years, arguing few clubs in Europe have matched Arsenal’s trajectory in value, performance and revenue, which has allowed the club to take a different approach to squad building than some rivals who may be more reliant on player sales.
Guimaraes’ Fitness a Doubt for the Opener
Arteta remains unsure whether new signing Bruno Guimaraes will be fit enough to make his Premier League debut against Coventry. The Brazilian was substituted at half-time during Arsenal’s Community Shield win over Manchester City and was later seen receiving ice treatment on his leg. Arteta said the situation is progressing well but that a final decision would only come closer to kick-off.
Asked about the broader impact of his £75 million signing, Arteta said new arrivals like Guimaraes much like Christos Tzolis or goalkeeper Illan Meslier before him naturally raise standards from day one, bringing fresh energy and healthy competition throughout the squad.
Konsa’s Race Against the Clock
There was also a note of cautious optimism regarding Ezri Konsa, whose £51 million move from Aston Villa needed to be finalised and registered by 12 noon on Thursday for any chance of involvement against Coventry. Arteta said he remains positive and confident by nature but acknowledged the registration timeline wasn’t something entirely within the club’s control, adding that any confirmed news on the deal would be announced once ready.
Quick Facts: Arsenal’s Pre-Coventry Press Conference
- Lewis-Skelly’s status: Arteta “100%” confident he stays this summer
- Interested clubs earlier this window: Chelsea, Manchester United (long-term)
- Players linked with exits: Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri
- Arsenal’s record sale: £35m (Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool, 2017)
- Guimaraes’ status: Doubt for Coventry after Community Shield withdrawal
- Konsa’s registration deadline: 12 noon Thursday, for potential involvement vs Coventry
