Real Madrid 'contacted Arsenal star' hoping he would leave the Gunners on a free

Real Madrid are said to have sounded out Myles Lewis-Skelly in the hope that the Arsenal star would consider joining them on a free transfer before the teenager put pen to paper on a new contract.

The Gunners confirmed on Thursday that Lewis-Skelly, 18, had signed a new long-term deal. But his impressive form during a breakthrough 2024-25 campaign led to some of Europe's elite, including Los Blancos, reach out to discuss the player's availability.

And it's now emerged that the Spanish giants were hoping that Lewis-Skelly would run down his contract and join them for free; just like Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The Times report that Lewis-Skelly rejected overtures from Real and others in order to commit his future to Arsenal until 2030.

Lewis-Skelly's new deal makes him one of the highest paid teenagers in the world and is a reward for the youngster, who established himself as Arsenal's first-choice left-back.

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The versatile star, who came through the Arsenal academy as a midfielder, was part of the Arsenal team that romped past Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals, where they won 5-1 on aggregate.

Real recently snared Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool on a free transfer after courting the England star for over a year.

But Lewis-Skelly only has eyes for Arsenal and is looking forward to the future after putting pen to paper. Reacting to the news, he said: “I’m so proud and happy. I know those words are simple, but I think they sum up how I feel signing for this club. I’m a fan and it’s like a dream come true.

“I’ve embodied the values of Hale End [Arsenal’s academy] and come through. I’ve still got a lot of years ahead of me, so if I can keep staying humble and being a good person, that’s the most important thing to me.

“I know I’ve taken a lot of experience from the games about the positive moments, the mistakes that I’ve made. I’m definitely more ready now for the next season. I just want to keep learning and keep improving.

“I want a legacy. I want to win everything there is to win in the game. I want to win trophies on the biggest stages while being a person that’s always learning and stays grounded, which is so important.”

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