£40m star wants move to Arsenal

Hale End have regularly supplied Arsenal with immense talent in recent years.

In the early stages of Mikel Arteta’s managerial career, it was undoubtedly the Academy that kept him going. Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe was a feel-good story that was impossible to ignore.

Of course, the latter is gone, but Saka remains the marquee player, joined by several more elite talents from the youth division.

If 2024/25 was the rise of Ethan Nwaneri and Miles Lewis-Skelly, 2025/26 was Max Dowman’s season.

he produced one of them of Moments into their title campaign, he scored his famous goal against Everton, running from inside his own half into the net.

Still, the greater Arsenal’s success, the fewer chances there will be for tomorrow’s stars. That includes Lewis Skelly, who could be affected by the club’s transfer business.

The £40m star hopes to secure a move to Arsenal this summer

Arsenal’s main priority this period has been to bring in one or two elite-level forwards, but they have not ignored the need to add depth and quality to their midfield.

Sandro Tonali continues to be tracked by the Gunners, but it currently looks more likely that he will head to rivals Tottenham Hotspur, even if the player’s preference is to move to the Emirates.

Ayyoub Bouadi would be a cheaper option. Arsenal are thought to have been in talks with the player’s camp for several months, even before the player, who is worth £60 million, began to shine at the World Cup with Morocco.

Speaking of the World Cup, there is another player currently active in North America who could arrive in north London this summer. He goes by the name Manu Kohn.

The Roma midfielder started the second group game against Iraq earlier this week amid question marks over his future.

In fact, it looks increasingly likely that the 25-year-old will leave for pastures new, with Arsenal said to be interested in the player.

According to preliminary reports, club officials have already held talks with the player’s entourage and that personal terms have already been agreed.

What’s the latest on Arsenal’s pursuit? Well, reports in Italy claim that the player’s desire this summer is to join Arsenal and no one else.

Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are all interested in Kone, but the Gunners are likely to reject all of them if they formally declare their interest with Roma.

A transfer fee of around £40m would be enough to lure him away from the Italian capital.

Why Cone is bad news for Lewis Skelly Arsenal

The lack of football young Louis Skelly played in the 2025/26 season was surprising considering the breakthrough he made the season before.

The teenager did not start the 2024/25 season as a first-team regular, but it did not take long for him to become a regular. There was no player Arteta would want to start ahead of him at left-back.

Lewis-Skelly scored his first goal for Arsenal against Manchester City, also scored on his debut for England, and was a hit in the Champions League against both PSG and Real Madrid.

However, the 19-year-old’s expected playing time at left-back quickly came to an end due to Riccardo Calafioli’s improved fitness and the arrival of Piero Hincapie.

Before starting against Bournemouth on April 11, the teen had only started one Premier League game all season. Lewis Skelly had to wait a few minutes, but in the end he made the most of what he got. He found a place in midfield, a position he was unfamiliar with at senior level but well known in the academy.

During his days on the youth pitch, Lewis-Skelly developed as a midfielder before becoming a first-team left-back. But now he looks natural in the middle of the park. In the 3-0 win against Fulham, Arteta tried him in a more central role for the first time and it worked.

Arteta was so impressed that he started three of the last four league games and even the Champions League final. But just as he starts to regain his momentum, the arrival of a new midfielder, whether Kone or someone else, could only be bad news for him.

He came on as a No. 8 when Lewis-Skelly came on in midfield, with Declan Rice playing deeper as a No. 6. However, Kone could allow Arteta to select Rice again as a more forward-moving midfielder, potentially progressing the ball towards the penalty area.

But in general, Kone could play in a variety of midfield roles. This player, like Lewis Skelly, is a confident ball carrier.

During the 2024/25 season, the France international ranked in the highest 7% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 minutes and in the highest 4% for successful dribbles per 90 minutes. He also won 40% of duels on the defensive ground, ranking in the top 6%.

He is a particularly physical midfielder. In that respect, he is in a similar position to Rice. Together they are a perfect combination.

Sadly, with Martin Zvimendi still out and Mikel Merino set to make a full recovery from injury in 2026/27, any hopes of Lewis-Skelly starting regularly again will suddenly disappear.