This guy is a footballer: Wright and Carragher rave over Manchester United target Myles Lewis-Skelly

London — Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly has been hailed as “unbelievable” by Premier League pundits Ian Wright and Jamie Carragher after Manchester United’s interest in the left-back was confirmed by Sky Sports.

The 19-year-old, left out of Mikel Arteta’s match-day squad for Sunday’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City, is now at the centre of a potential January tug-of-war between the two historic rivals. United’s approach comes at a moment when Lewis-Skelly’s pathway at the Emirates has narrowed: he has started only once in the league this season and been an unused substitute in 16 top-flight fixtures, his last appearance coming in the FA Cup third-round loss to Liverpool on 8 January.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Arsenal legend Wright argued that the youngster’s omission from the Wembley final was a missed opportunity. “Myles Lewis-Skelly, when he played against Real Madrid last season, he had an unbelievable game, and then he’s kind of been dropped back out of it,” Wright said. “I’m thinking in that game on Sunday, [having] a left-back who can invert… we needed somebody comfortable on the ball, which we didn’t have. That’s the game he should be playing, because he’s someone who can get on the ball and link [up play]. This guy is a footballer, and we needed a footballer on Sunday.”

Carragher echoed the praise, recalling the same European display that first caught the eye. “He is a good player. What he did last season was unbelievable – that performance against Real Madrid was like… he’s going to go on and do special things on the back of that at 18, 19.”

Lewis-Skelly’s breakthrough campaign in 2024/25 yielded 23 Premier League appearances and 1,371 minutes, but the summer arrival of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie and the consistent form of Riccardo Calafiori have pushed the academy graduate down the pecking order. With Arsenal reportedly needing to balance the books before pursuing their own window targets, the prospect of a sale cannot be ruled out.

United’s interest, verified by Sky Sports journalist Danyal Khan, intensifies the spotlight on a player who has spent more than a decade in north London since joining the club as a primary-school prospect. Whether Arteta is willing to cash in on a home-grown talent or gamble on his long-term potential remains the pivotal question of the final days of the transfer window.

For now, the noises from pundits and suitors alike are clear: Lewis-Skelly is a modern full-back who can invert, progress the ball and link play — attributes both sets of fans may soon be debating if negotiations accelerate.