Paul Scholes Critiques Arsenal's Transfer Strategy
Paul Scholes has torn into Arsenal’s transfer thinking, insisting Mikel Arteta is preparing to sacrifice the wrong player this summer.
With 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly surprisingly linked with a move to Premier League rivals, the Manchester United great made it clear where he believes the axe should fall instead – on one of Arteta’s big-name midfield signings.
Scholes: “If there’s one player you get rid of, it’s him”
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes didn’t bother dressing it up.
"I prefer Lewis-Skelly in centre midfield to Zubimendi," he said. "I think Zubimendi struggled last year. If there’s one player you are going to get rid of, it would be him."
No nuance. No caveat. For Scholes, the choice between a highly rated academy product and an established Spain international is straightforward – and Arsenal, in his eyes, are leaning the wrong way.
He then widened the lens to what it means for the club’s identity when homegrown players are pushed out to clear space for imports who may not actually raise the level.
Scholes spoke of a deep frustration at seeing academy graduates squeezed aside, and reached back into his own career at Old Trafford to make the point sting.
"It reminds me a little bit of when Danny Welbeck left Manchester United. I hated it, didn’t like it. Now, Danny was a little bit older than Myles Lewis-Skelly, but when you’re losing your own players, it’s disappointing."
The message was clear: selling from the heart of the academy cuts deeper than moving on any overseas signing.
Carragher stunned by Arsenal’s stance
Scholes wasn’t alone. Jamie Carragher, watching the same rumours swirl, admitted he could barely get his head around them.
Reports this week suggested Arsenal had offered Lewis-Skelly to both Chelsea and Manchester United. Not just listened to enquiries. Actively put his name on the table.
Carragher questioned where that push was coming from.
"Do you think it’s from his side or the club’s side? That’s the thing that was a little bit strange about it," he said. "It felt almost like Arsenal offered Manchester United Myles Lewis-Skelly. It wasn’t Myles Lewis-Skelly saying I want to leave or his people putting something out. That’s where the shock came from. I still can’t believe it."
For a teenager already trusted on major European nights, the idea of being quietly shopped around the league jarred with everything Carragher had seen of his talent.
"You can’t play at that level unless you’re pretty special at that age," he added. "All young players have ups and downs. Last season he didn’t play as much as he probably would have liked."
The implication was obvious: dips in minutes are part of a young player’s journey, not a justification to cash in.
Arteta keeps his cards close
As the noise grew, Mikel Arteta was eventually forced to face questions about Lewis-Skelly’s future. He gave nothing away.
"I’m not going to talk about any speculation," the Arsenal manager said when pressed this week. "If there is a speculation about our players, that’s a good sign."
No denial. No reassurance either. Just a reminder that interest in his squad reflects its quality, while leaving the door wide open to interpretation.
For Scholes and Carragher, the equation is simple: you protect rare homegrown talent and ask more of your high-profile signings. Arsenal’s next move will reveal whether the club sees it the same way.
