Lewis-Skelly is determined to stay and fight for his place at Arsenal despite interest from Man Utd and Chelsea

Lewis-Skelly has been one of the standout performers for Arsenal during pre-season, starting their last two friendly matches as they prepare for the Community Shield on Sunday.

The midfielder endured a difficult campaign last year, falling behind Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapie in the defensive pecking order. However, Lewis-Skelly has recently found form in his natural central midfield position, giving Arsenal food for thought.

While the club previously considered selling Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri to raise £100 million, his impressive recent performances have complicated matters. Despite the intense competition, Lewis-Skelly remains determined to establish himself as a regular starter under Mikel Arteta this season.

BBC Sport report that Lewis-Skelly was offered to Manchester United in January, although Arsenal insist they have not actively shopped him to other teams. Manchester United are in the market for a left-sided player, given Luke Shaw has a patchy fitness record and Patrick Dorgu has been utilised in a more advanced role by Michael Carrick.

United have also looked at Lewis Hall, but acknowledge a deal would be complicated. Similarly, Chelsea have reportedly been offered the chance to sign Lewis-Skelly.

However, Chelsea already possess Jorrel Hato and Pep Chavarria in that position. With no European football to navigate and a congested midfield, Chelsea are unlikely to pursue Lewis-Skelly unless they make substantial sales first.

Arsenal have invested heavily, spending £250m last summer and over £100m in the current window following the £75m acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes. To balance the books, the club are looking to offload players, having already sold Christian Norgaard for £7m and Leandro Trossard for £15m. As an academy graduate, a transfer for Lewis-Skelly would be highly beneficial for accounting purposes.

Lewis-Skelly is keenly aware of his financial value to the club, having previously written the caption "pure profit" on a photograph of himself celebrating with the Premier League trophy. However, new Squad Cost Ratio rules dictate that the revenue from selling homegrown players must now be amortised over the length of their contract.

Arsenal have a crucial decision to make before the transfer window officially closes. Lewis-Skelly will likely feature in the Community Shield against Manchester City on Sunday, which could serve as a vital audition. If he fails to secure guaranteed minutes ahead of Guimaraes, a late domestic move remains a distinct possibility as Manchester United continue to monitor his situation closely.