'I hated it, didn’t like it' - Paul Scholes recalls Danny Welbeck's Man Utd exit and warns Arsenal against repeating the same mistake

Manchester United icon has delivered a blunt assessment of Arsenal’s current transfer strategy, suggesting that the North London club is looking at the wrong players to move on this summer. While 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly has been linked with a shock departure to Premier League rivals, Scholes believes the axe should instead fall on one of Mikel Arteta’s high-profile signings.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes was unequivocal in his preference for the young Englishman over the established Spanish star. "I prefer Lewis-Skelly in centre midfield to Zubimendi," Scholes said. "I think Zubimendi struggled last year. If there’s one player you are going to get rid of, it would be him."

Scholes further elaborated on why losing a homegrown talent like Lewis-Skelly would hurt the culture of the club, comparing the situation to a controversial exit from his own playing days at Old Trafford. He expressed a deep-seated dislike for seeing academy products forced out to make room for external signings who may not necessarily offer a higher ceiling.

The former midfielder drew a direct parallel to Manchester United's decision to sell a certain striker to North London years ago, highlighting the emotional and sporting impact of such moves. He added: 'It reminds me a little bit of when Danny Welbeck left Manchester United. I hated it, didn’t like it. Now, Danny was a little bit older than Myles Lewis-Skelly, but when you’re losing your own players, it’s disappointing.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher was equally perplexed by the news that Arsenal might be actively shopping their young star to domestic rivals. Reports surfaced earlier this week indicating that the Gunners had potentially offered Lewis-Skelly to both Chelsea and Manchester United, a move that Carragher finds difficult to comprehend given the youngster's previous displays on the grandest stages of European football.

Carragher said: 'Do you think it’s from his side or the club’s side? That’s the thing that was a little bit strange about it. It felt almost like Arsenal offered Manchester United Myles Lewis-Skelly. It wasn’t Myles Lewis-Skelly saying I want to leave or his people putting something out. That’s where the shock came from. I still can’t believe it."

Carragher continued his praise by emphasizing the rare talent required to play at such a high level so early in a career. 'You can’t play at that level unless you’re pretty special at that age. All young players have ups and downs. Last season he didn’t play as much as he probably would have liked.

When the Gunners' boss was finally cornered regarding the future of his versatile youngster, Mikel Arteta opted for a diplomatic response that neither confirmed nor denied the possibility of a sale. When pressed on Lewis-Skelly's future earlier this week, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta refused to give anything away. 'I’m not going to talk about any speculation,' he said. ‘If there is a speculation about our players, that’s a good sign."