Arsenal are “confident” that Myles Lewis-Skelly will sign a new contract to remain in north London despite alleged interest from Real Madrid, a report has claimed.
The English teenager only made his Premier League debut last September, coming on for the closing stages of a 2–2 draw with Manchester City. At the end of a spiky contest, Erling Haaland memorably and dismissively asked Lewis-Skelly: “Who are you?” In the reverse fixture five months later, the Arsenal academy graduate scored in a 5–1 win and mimicked Haaland’s zen celebration.
Lewis-Skelly’s remarkable rise this season has seen him established as a regular in Arsenal’s first team while also figuring prominently throughout the early days of Thomas Tuchel’s England tenure. The teen’s ascent has also prompted links to Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants were reportedly alerted to Lewis-Skelly’s potential availability when talks over a new Arsenal contract hit a rocky patch. Madrid have made a habit of poaching players—especially defenders—entering the final months of their contract, with Trent Alexander-Arnold the latest example in a sequence which also includes Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba.
Despite having just one year of his first senior deal remaining, Lewis-Skelly isn’t expected to follow the same path to the Spanish capital, according the Daily Mail. The report claims that an agreement is close, tying Lewis-Skelly to a new “long-term” deal which is said to come with a “significant pay rise”.
Lewis-Skelly is not the only contractual headache for Mikel Arteta to manage. Five first-team players are in the final two years of their deals, just the time when renewals are expected.
There has reportedly been progress made with an agreement for Gabriel Magalhães, although Real Madrid are thought to be sniffing around his centre-back partner William Saliba. Bukayo Saka is another figure whose future seems secure, while Gabriel Martinelli has been the subject of transfer interest from Barcelona.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal ‘Learn Myles Lewis-Skelly Contract Future’ Amid Real Madrid Links.
