£40m star wants to join Arsenal

Hale End has been a regular provider of immense talent for Arsenal in recent years.

It was arguably the academy that kept Mikel Arteta in his job during the infancy of his managerial career. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were feel good stories that were impossible to ignore.

Sure, the latter has now moved on, but Saka has remained the poster boy and he’s been joined by a few more elite talents from the youth setup.

If 2024/25 was all about the emergence of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, then 2025/26 was the season of Max Dowman.

He produced one of the moments of their title-winning campaign, scoring that famous goal against Everton, running from inside his own half before finding the net.

Still, the greater Arsenal’s success comes, the fewer the opportunities will be for the stars of tomorrow. That includes Lewis-Skelly who could be impacted by the club’s transfer business.

£40m star wants to seal move to Arsenal this summer

Arsenal’s main priority this window is to bring in one or two elite-level forward players but they are not neglecting the need to add more depth and quality in midfield either.

Sandro Tonali continues to be tracked by the Gunners but even if the players’ preference is to move to the Emirates, he looks more likely to head to rivals Tottenham Hotspur right now.

Ayyoub Bouaddi would be a cheaper option. Valued at £60m, Arsenal are believed to have held talks with the player’s camp for several months, even before he started to dazzle at the World Cup for Morocco.

Speaking of the World Cup, there’s another player currently in action in North America who could arrive in north London this summer. He goes by the name of Manu Kone.

The Roma midfielder started France’s second group game against Iraq earlier this week amid question marks surrounding his future.

Indeed, it looks increasingly likely that the 25-year-old will head for pastures new, with Arsenal said to be keen on the player.

Club officials have already held talks with the player’s entourage and an agreement on personal terms has already been struck according to prior reports.

What’s the latest on Arsenal’s pursuit? Well, according to reports in Italy, the player’s desire this summer is to join Arsenal and no one else.

Kone is being pursued by Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen but would reject them all if the Gunners decide to formalise their interest with Roma.

A fee of around £40m would likely be enough to prise him away from the Italian capital.

Why Kone would be bad news for Lewis-Skelly Arsenal

The lack of football that young Lewis-Skelly played in 2025/26 was remarkable when you consider the breakthrough he made a season prior.

The teenager did not start 2024/25 as a first-team regular but it was not long before he became one. There was no one Arteta wanted to start ahead of him at left-back.

Lewis-Skelly netted his first Arsenal goal against Manchester City, scored on his England debut and stole the show versus both PSG and Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Yet, improved fitness of Riccardo Calafiori and the arrival of Piero Hincapie soon put an end to any minutes the 19-year-old was hoping to get at left-back.

Before starting against Bournemouth on 11th April, the teen had only started one Premier League game all season. Lewis-Skelly had to wait an age for minutes but he eventuall made the most of what he got. It was in midfield, an unfamiliar position at senior level but a well known one form the academy, that he secured his place.

During his days on the youth pitches, Lewis-Skelly grew up as a midfielder before becoming a left-back in the first-team ranks. However, he now looks like a natural in the middle of the park. It was against Fulham, a 3-0 win, where Arteta first experimented with him in a more central role and it worked a treat.

Arteta was so impressed that he ended up starting three of the last four league games and even the Champions League final. However, just as he begins to build up a bit of momentum again, the arrival of a new midfielder, whether it be Kone or somebody else would only represent bad news for him.

When Lewis-Skelly appeared in midfield, he did so as an 8 with Declan Rice deeper as a 6. Kone, however, could allow Arteta to select Rice as a more forward-thinking midfielder again, progressing the ball towards the penalty area.

In general, though, Kone could play in a multitude of midfield roles. This is a player who, like Lewis-Skelly, is a confident ball carrier.

During the 2024/25 season, the France international ranked among the best 7% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 minutes and the finest 4% for productive dribbles per 90. He also won 40% of his defensive ground duels, ranking him among the top 6%.

This is a particularly physical midfielder. In that regard, he’s cut from a similar cloth as Rice. Together, they would be an almighty pairing.

Sadly, with Martin Zubimendi still in the fray and with Mikel Merino to fully return from injury in 2026/27, all of a sudden the hopes of Lewis-Skelly getting regular starts again would fade.