Wayne Rooney Urges Manchester United to Sign Myles Lewis-Skelly
Wayne Rooney has urged Manchester United to pounce on what he calls a transfer “no-brainer” in Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly – just as the Gunners hierarchy send mixed messages over the teenager’s long-term future.
The 19-year-old’s name has begun to swirl around the market, with Manchester United and Chelsea among the clubs offered the chance to sign him by intermediaries. Those approaches, first revealed by Standard Sport, raised alarm bells around the Emirates and beyond.
Inside Arsenal, the stance is clear enough: Lewis-Skelly is not actively looking to leave. He is seen as one of the brightest products of the club’s academy and has started the new season in the kind of form that makes executives wary of even answering the phone.
That hasn’t stopped Rooney from beating the drum for his old club.
Rooney: “Absolute no-brainer” for United
Speaking on the Stick to United podcast, the former United captain homed in on a familiar weak spot at Old Trafford and linked it directly to Lewis-Skelly.
“I don’t think you can rely on Luke Shaw to be consistent for the whole season and that leads me to Myles Lewis-Skelly,” Rooney said, referencing a reported £45million price tag.
“We’re hearing that he could be available for not that much money, so I think that’s an absolute no-brainer.
“If you can get a player in who can play left-back and centre-midfield, that’s an absolute no-brainer. He’s young and he’s got a massive future ahead of him.”
Rooney even suggested the move could make business sense for Arsenal, given the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules and the pure profit homegrown sales generate.
“Arsenal have spent a lot over the last couple of years so selling Lewis-Skelly makes some sense as it would be pure profit. I don’t think it would be a great look but I can see why they might sell him.
“If you’re United and he becomes available it’s a no-brainer, they definitely need to bring in a left-back, that’s a priority for United.”
Arsenal’s public line – and a quiet caveat
On the surface, Arsenal pushed back. CEO Richard Garlick moved to cool the speculation when he spoke to talkSPORT, stressing how highly the club rate the teenager.
“Myles has had a fantastic end to last season and he started this season really well and as I say we're always looking to retain and build on our best players,” Garlick said.
“Obviously there may be speculation, I'm not going to go into that from other clubs but we're very happy with Myles and the position he's in at the club.”
Strong words. Yet when Garlick spoke to the BBC, the message shifted slightly. The door, while not wide open, wasn’t slammed shut either – for Lewis-Skelly or fellow academy product Ethan Nwaneri.
“We’re not actively looking at selling those homegrown players, but if the right opportunity came up and it was right for them and right for the club, then we’d obviously consider that,” he admitted.
So Arsenal insist they want to keep Lewis-Skelly. Intermediaries are testing the water with England’s biggest clubs. Rooney is publicly urging United to act.
If the “right opportunity” really does land on the table, who blinks first?
