'If the right opportunity came up' - Arsenal chief drops HUGE hint over £45m wonderkid sale

Arsenal CEO Garlick has refused to rule out the prospect of academy graduates Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri leaving the club this summer. The Gunners may need to sell before they can buy in the final weeks of the transfer window. Arteta's side have spent relatively modestly so far, bringing in Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes to bolster their title-winning squad. However, further additions are still desired.

With the manager keen on signing another defender to cover for William Saliba's injury, alongside a new attacker, offloading homegrown talent could generate significant funds. Nwaneri currently looks the most likely to depart after being omitted from the matchday squad for Sunday's Community Shield win over Manchester City.

While Nwaneri missed the Community Shield victory, Lewis-Skelly gave a masterful performance at the heart of Arsenal's midfield. The England youth international has since been linked with a £45 million move to two of the club's biggest rivals, Manchester United and Chelsea. Speaking to the BBC, Garlick left the door firmly ajar for both teenagers to depart.

"I think Myles has had a fantastic end to last season and he’s started this season really well and we are very very happy with him," Garlick revealed. "Ethan’s had a great pre-season as well and it’s just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those players in terms of their careers moving forwards but we are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players.

"If the right opportunity came up and it was right for them and it was right for the club then we’d obviously consider that."

Despite the clear willingness to sanction a sale for the right price, the Gunners remain incredibly proud of their youth system. Both teenagers have consistently impressed the first-team coaching staff during pre-season preparations.

"We obviously believe in our academy and have been very successful with the players that have come through that academy, Myles and Ethan being two of those," he added "Everybody loves to see those homegrown players coming through and pulling on the shirt and contributing to the success of the team.

"It’s not something that we aim to just sell only homegrown players, as I say trading players is something that comes up all the time. There’s been a lot of speculation surrounding players. I can’t stop other clubs being interested in our players."

Beyond their talented academy prospects, Arsenal are actively looking to trim the fringes of their senior squad. Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, and Reiss Nelson are all heavily tipped to depart in the next fortnight. Furthermore, the long-term future of Gabriel Martinelli remains the subject of intense speculation. If these senior players leave, it could lessen the immediate financial pressure to cash in on Nwaneri or Lewis-Skelly.