Real Madrid interest grows but Arsenal expect contract agreement | OneFootball

Arsenal Confident of New Lewis-Skelly Deal Despite Real Madrid Interest

Rising star earns attention

There are few greater compliments in football than being tracked by Real Madrid. For Myles Lewis-Skelly, that interest comes at the end of a breakout campaign which has firmly placed him among Arsenal’s most promising young talents.

The 18-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions for Mikel Arteta’s side in 2024-25, having not featured at all for the senior team the season before. His progress has been rapid, not just in minutes and matches, but in stature. A senior England debut, a goal against Albania, and now headlines linking him to Madrid.

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Contract concern grows

Arsenal are confident Lewis-Skelly will commit to a new long-term deal, yet there is some urgency. His current contract expires in 2026, and the parallels to Bukayo Saka’s previous situation are all too familiar.

Financial expert Stefan Borson, speaking to Football Insider, said, “He will obviously stay at Arsenal… We know there’s no way Arsenal are going to let him leave.”

That optimism is well-placed but does not mask the reality. Lewis-Skelly’s emergence has occurred in an era where top clubs like Real Madrid are increasingly adept at exploiting contractual uncertainty. Having signed Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool this summer, Madrid’s interest in Lewis-Skelly feels credible rather than speculative.

Internal confidence and external noise

Borson is convinced this will follow the path Arsenal have already navigated with Saka. “Every year that he was running to the end of his contract, there were these sorts of noises,” he said. “He will sign a new contract.”

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It is a test of Arsenal’s planning as much as Lewis-Skelly’s ambition. The club cannot afford to delay when the vultures of Europe are circling. This is no longer a teenager with potential, but a first-team regular playing international football.

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For Arsenal supporters, this is precisely the kind of situation that once sparked anxiety. But this is no longer the Arsenal of uncertainty. This is a club that knows how to keep its crown jewels.

Myles Lewis-Skelly has been a revelation. Calm in possession, aggressive in his pressing, and intelligent beyond his years, he has slotted seamlessly into Arteta’s high-demand system. That he has already made such an impact in his debut season shows both his character and quality.

The links to Real Madrid are almost flattering at this stage. Of course they want him. That is what happens when you nurture excellence. But Arsenal fans should trust the process. The club have managed these renewals brilliantly in recent seasons, and there’s no suggestion that will change now.

Saka stayed. Martinelli stayed. Saliba stayed. Lewis-Skelly will, in all likelihood, stay too. Not just because Arsenal need him, but because he has already shown he belongs there.