Myles Lewis-Skelly may be entering a difficult stage in his Arsenal career after the club’s $101 million (£75 million) move for Bruno Guimarães reduced the space for him in the squad. The teenager’s minutes fell in 2025-26, yet he still managed to start in central midfield ahead of Martín Zubimendi in the Champions League final alongside Declan Rice.

Even so, the market is already circling. football.london report that Chelsea and Manchester United have both been offered Lewis-Skelly, with Arsenal possibly open to a sale. Chelsea have held a long-term interest in the player and, according to the report, a “good offer” could be difficult for the club to turn down.

Sky Sports add that Chelsea have made a “new enquiry” for the England international. Arsenal, however, “do not want to sell” to a local rival, which points to the possibility that the player has been put forward by representatives or intermediaries who believe his minutes could decline further if he stays in north London.

For Chelsea, the issue is practical as much as strategic. The club are trying to trim a bloated squad, but Marc Cucurella’s sale to Real Madrid earlier this summer means they need a direct replacement at left back. Rayo Vallecano fullback Pep Chavarría is said to be close to Stamford Bridge, though the 28-year-old does not carry the same long-term appeal as Lewis-Skelly.

Manchester United would also see the 18-year-old as a player who covers more than one need. He can operate at left back and in midfield, giving them short-term depth for Luke Shaw as well as a longer-term option. Their midfield picture is also thin, with only Kobbie Mainoo, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos available as senior central midfielders, or four if Mason Mount is counted in a deeper role.

The Guardian report that Lewis-Skelly could be priced at around $61 million (£45 million). Given the sums United have already spent on Santos and Tielemans this summer, the deal would sit within reach. Arsenal, meanwhile, may decide that a player not central to Arteta’s plans is still valuable as a source of major transfer income.

Manchester United have been given a timely lift with Matthijs de Ligt back in first-team training, a sign that his eight-month spell on the sidelines is edging toward a conclusion.

The defender joined the squad for the first time on this leg of the club’s summer tour of northern Europe, which has already included stops in Finland, Norway and Sweden before the move to the Republic of Ireland. On Monday, he took part in the opening 15 minutes of training at a facility in Co. Kildare, after which he returned to his individual programme as the rest of the group stepped up the intensity.

That does not mean a match return is imminent, but it is still an encouraging stage in his recovery. With the 2026-27 Premier League campaign due to begin in just under two weeks, every player is now back with the squad in Ireland.

That includes those who had been away on post-World Cup breaks, along with De Ligt, Benjamin Šeško, and new goalkeeper Karl Darlow, all of whom were working at Carrington. JJ Gabriel has also rejoined the group after a brief spell away from the travelling party, while new winger Tynan Thompson has earned his first opportunity around the senior squad. The 18-year-old arrived from Tottenham Hotspur with the hope of making a similar impression to Ayden Heaven, who moved from Arsenal in 2025.

Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens are back after illness kept them out of the trip to Gothenburg for the PSG match. Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford trained on Monday after their time with England until the World Cup’s final weekend, and Lisandro Martínez arrived later that evening.

How Carrick shapes his defence for the opening weekend may depend on Martínez’s condition. Manchester United travel east across England to face Hull City on Aug. 22, and Martínez remains the club’s best left center back when fully fit, though he will have had limited time to rebuild after a delayed summer break.

That could open the door for Heaven alongside Harry Maguire. De Ligt, once fully ready, is expected to compete directly with Maguire for the right-sided role, with Leny Yoro also an option on that side because of his right foot.

José Mourinho has disclosed that he was initially due to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor at Manchester United in 2013, before changing course and returning to Chelsea.

The revelation adds a fresh layer to one of the most scrutinised managerial transitions in recent Premier League history. David Moyes was ultimately chosen to follow Ferguson at Old Trafford after being personally selected by the departing manager. The appointment earned Moyes the nickname “The Chosen One”, but it proved to be a short-lived reign, ending before he completed a full season as United struggled to maintain the standards of the Ferguson era.

For years, that decision has been viewed as a major misstep by Ferguson and the Manchester United hierarchy. Mourinho’s version of events now presents a different path, one in which he was the intended successor before the deal collapsed.

On the new Netflix series Mourinho, the current Real Madrid manager said: “When I left Real Madrid, I signed to go to Manchester United after Sir Alex.”

Ferguson, who also appears in the docuseries, backed that account and described how close the arrangement came to being finalised.

“I sat him [Mourinho] down and explained the situation,” the 84-year-old claims. “As far as I was concerned, he was accepting. And then, within hours, it changed.”

Mourinho said he then reversed his decision and chose Chelsea, the club where he had already won two Premier League titles earlier in his career. Ferguson recalled the moment the change became clear: “One night, he phoned me and he was crying and he says: ‘Alex, I can’t take it. I’ve given my word to Chelsea and I’m not going to break my word.’

“The reason he gave to me, I could understand, but I was disappointed.”

Mourinho explained the choice in emotional terms: “One thing is love for football, another thing is love for a certain club,” Mourinho reasoned as he explained his decision to choose Chelsea over United..

“I think this is more powerful than love for football and fundamentally, after Real Madrid , I needed to feel that I’m loved.

“For me to lose the chance to be the coach to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson was dramatic, but I don’t regret [it] because it was a decision that I made with my heart.”

The disclosure leaves open the view that a different ending at Madrid might have altered Manchester United’s post-Ferguson years.