Myles Lewis-Skelly transfer news: Mikel Arteta ‘100 per cent’ confident Arsenal will keep teenage midfielder this summer | Football News

Mikel Arteta says he is “100 per cent” confident Myles Lewis-Skelly will be an Arsenal player at the end of the transfer window.

Chelsea were linked earlier this summer, with Manchester United also long-term admirers of the teenager, who started Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain in May.

But, asked in press conference ahead of Friday night’s Premier League opener against Coventry – live on Sky Sports – if he is confident that Lewis-Skelly will remain as an Arsenal player, Arteta replied: “100 per cent.”

He later added: “The players that have been raised in our [academy] system and they feel that love and connection with the club, it brings something else. There is no question about that.

“We need to look after them in a very special way because they bring value that is very difficult to [find]. That’s why, when we can, we have to protect those assets as much as possible, develop them, and make them very important for the club.”

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Could Arsenal players leave – and are they a ‘bad selling club’?

Arteta was also asked if Arsenal need to have some brutal conversations about letting players go. The likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri have been linked with moves away from the club.

“It’s a really tough moment. We need to face that reality,” said Arteta.

“But you have to face it with a real honesty and transparency. When you’re on the other side, it’s exactly what you need.

“You might not like what you’ve been told, but if it’s truthful, if it’s the reality and honest and makes you make better decisions and have more clarity for the next step in your career, you have to do that. These are always difficult conversations. But they need to be done.

“We all know everything has a start and an end. When it ends, our job and duty is to do it in the best possible way, with respect and admiration for the player and the relationship. But at the end, we need to make difficult decisions.

“Without talking any specifics, it is something we are working on with every individual. I want to have the squad as big as possible because we know what we’re fighting for, we learn again from the past. Especially last year when we had injuries in two or three areas of the pitch.

“The deeper squad we have, the better. But the players have to feel valued and feel important.”

Arsenal do not have the best record of selling players though. Their all-time record sale is still the £35m that Liverpool spent on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain nine years ago.

Asked if Arsenal are bad at selling, Arteta replied: “It’s not bad or good. It’s what you have in relation to what you have to the options that you have to sell.

“Maybe we’ve been extraordinary depending on the level on players that we have, the ability, their contract and the will to go.

“A possible issue you can face is maybe you want to make certain decisions with certain players but they are happy and want to stay as well. It’s a lot of factors that have to be right when you want to sell a player. It’s not that simple, in my opinion.”

Asked if Arsenal need to sell players to buy more in the market, Arteta replied: “Depending on the sporting success as well.

“There isn’t any club in Europe who’s had the growth that Arsenal have had in terms of value, performances, revenues. That’s something very big.

“Some other clubs maybe need to sell. We have taken an approach to raise the level and capacity of the club big time.”

Guimaraes a doubt for Premier League opener

Arteta is unsure whether Bruno Guimaraes will be ready to make his first league appearance for the club against Coventry.

The Brazil midfielder came off at half-time in the Community Shield win over Manchester City – and was seen with an ice pack on his leg after being withdrawn.

“Let’s see how it is. It’s evolving really well, but let’s see for tomorrow,” said Arteta.

Asked about the impact of the new £75m midfielder, Arteta said: “That’s what new signings bring: new energy.

“Something to prove in front of them as well. Competition. When you talk about players, the same with Christos [Tzolis] or Illan [Meslier] since day one, it lifts the level.”

However, Arteta gave a glimmer of hope that incoming signing Ezri Konsa could feature against the Sky Blues.

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Konsa, who is set to arrive in a £51m move from Aston Villa, needed to be registered by 12 noon on Thursday to feature in the league opener.

“I’m always positive and confident,” said Arteta. “I cannot control it. It doesn’t depend on us. We are trying our best to achieve that.

“When we’re ready to announce something, we’ll let you know.”