Arsenal Open to Selling Academy Stars: Garlick Discusses Future

Arsenal’s academy crown jewels, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, are no longer being spoken about as untouchables.

With the transfer window entering its final stretch and the champions still hunting reinforcements, CEO Tim Lewis-Garlick has admitted the club will listen if the money – and the situation – is right.

Sell to strengthen

Arsenal have moved quietly so far this summer. Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes have arrived to deepen a title-winning squad, but Mikel Arteta still wants more: another defender to cover the injured William Saliba and a fresh attacking option to sharpen the front line.

To do that, Arsenal may have to sell before they buy. And that is where the academy comes into sharp focus.

Nwaneri, once the poster boy of the club’s youth project, looks the likeliest to go. He was left out of the matchday squad entirely for Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, a notable omission on a day when Arteta leaned heavily on players he trusts.

Lewis-Skelly, by contrast, was right at the heart of it.

Lewis-Skelly shines as interest grows

While Nwaneri watched from afar, Lewis-Skelly took centre stage. The England youth international delivered a composed, authoritative display in midfield, underlining why Arsenal’s staff have been so excited about him.

That performance has not gone unnoticed. He is now being linked with a £45 million move, with two of Arsenal’s biggest rivals, Manchester United and Chelsea, circling.

Speaking to the BBC, Garlick refused to slam the door shut on either teenager leaving.

“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,” he said. “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.”

The message is clear: Arsenal are not putting them in the shop window, but they are not locking it either.

Pride in the academy, realism in the market

Behind the business talk, there remains a strong sense of pride in Hale End. Both Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri have impressed throughout pre-season, repeatedly catching the eye of the first-team coaches.

Garlick stressed that the club’s identity is still rooted in developing and promoting its own.

“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 said. “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.”

That interest is now testing Arsenal’s resolve. The club want to keep their brightest talents, yet also need room and resources to evolve a squad expected to defend a Premier League title and go deeper in Europe.

The next few weeks will show whether Hale End’s latest stars remain part of that journey, or help fund it from afar.