The 19-year-old, who started both Arsenal's Champions League semi-final against Atlético Madrid and the final against Paris Saint-Germain last season, had been seriously weighing his options this summer, with both Manchester United and Chelsea registering interest in the academy graduate.
Arteta, though, was determined to keep him, telling the player's family and representatives from the outset that he wanted him at the club this season, and going as far as declaring at a press conference that he was "100 per cent certain" Lewis-Skelly would stay.
Central to convincing him was a tactical shift. Arsenal largely used a 4-3-3 throughout last season, with Declan Rice screened by rotating partners including Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze and captain Martin Ădegaard, depending on the opponent and the demands of the fixture.
This season Arteta has switched to a 4-2-3-1, pairing Lewis-Skelly with Rice at the base of midfield, with Ădegaard freed to play in his favoured number 10 role, Bukayo Saka and Christos Tzolis providing width, and Kai Havertz leading the line.
Lewis-Skelly impressed against Manchester City in the Community Shield and followed it up against Coventry, signs that persuaded him there was a genuine pathway to regular football. The signing of Bruno GuimarĂŁes from Newcastle for ÂŁ75 million was also a factor in his thinking, but sources say Arteta held direct conversations with the teenager highlighting his versatility, with Lewis-Skelly capable of playing left-back, left wing or left-sided midfield, as reasons he offered options few others in the squad could match.
GuimarĂŁes is instead viewed internally as competition for Ădegaard and Eze rather than a direct threat to Lewis-Skelly's place, says The Sun.
Lewis-Skelly has started every game since the Community Shield, and there is a feeling inside the club that keeping him represented one of the biggest wins of the transfer window, even amid a string of major arrivals.
His form has coincided with a broader upturn for Ădegaard, who has scored three goals already this season having managed only one in the whole of last term, following a campaign that brought some frustration despite his popularity as captain, with the Norwegian's renewed confidence and willingness to get forward again a source of quiet satisfaction for Arteta's coaching staff.
Arteta has stressed that competition remains central to his approach and is expected to rotate his squad for Champions League fixtures, both to manage the demands of the season and to give fringe players a route into contention for the Premier League side.