Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick has refused to rule out the prospect of both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri leaving the club before the end of the transfer window.
The Gunners have spent relatively modestly this summer in their attempts to bolster a squad that ended last season as Premier League champions.
Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes already appear shrewd additions, while Mikel Arteta remains keen on signing another defender to compensate for William Saliba’s injury-enforced absence.
A new attacker is also desired following the failed pursuits of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior, but Arsenal may well need to sell before they can buy.
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Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson are all likely to depart in the next fortnight, while the future of Gabriel Martinelli is also the subject of intense speculation.
In order to raise further significant funds, the Gunners may be forced into selling one of their Hale End Academy graduates.
Nwaneri looks the most likely to depart given he was omitted from the matchday squad for Sunday’s Community Shield win over Manchester City, during which Lewis-Skelly gave a masterful performance at the heart of hisside’s midfield.
The England international has been linked with a high-profile move to two of Arsenal’s biggest rivals, with a fee of £45million reported to be the asking price.
Asked about Lewis-Skelly’s future by talkSPORT, Garlick appeared to put the matter to bed, saying: ”Obviously there may be speculation, I’m not going to go into that from other clubs but we’re very happy with Myles and the position he’s in at the club.’
In a subsequent interview with the BBC, however, Garlick did leave the door ajar for both teenagers and claimed Arsenal would act in best interests of both players were they to receive suitable offers.
He said: ‘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.
‘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.
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‘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.
‘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.’