Lee Dixon's Bold Arsenal Swap: Myles Lewis-Skelly for Marcus Rashford

Lee Dixon has never been shy of a firm opinion, and this one cuts straight to the heart of two clubs heading in very different directions.

The former Arsenal defender says he would sanction a swap deal that sends academy prospect Myles Lewis-Skelly away and brings Marcus Rashford to the Emirates. Not as a slight on the teenager. As a calculated gamble on a proven, if inconsistent, forward who he believes Mikel Arteta could unlock.

“Would I swap them (Myles Lewis Skelly and Marcus Rashford)? You know what, I probably would,” Dixon told BestBettingSites. “And that's nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly, it's about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere.”

That line matters. Dixon isn’t tearing down a youngster; he’s making a point about timing, opportunity and ceilings. Arsenal, stacked with emerging midfield and attacking talent, can afford to let one prospect fly if it means adding a player who has already shown he can decide games at the highest level.

Arteta's Role

For Dixon, the entire argument hangs on Arteta.

“With Marcus Rashford, he's a player who needs an arm around his shoulder, and Arteta would be great for him. Give him that love, give him the freedom to play on that left side, and yeah, I'd like to see him in an Arsenal shirt,” he said. “I have my reservations about whether he's consistently a top-class player, but based on what Arsenal have in the squad now, he'd be a good addition.”

That is the Rashford riddle in one breath. Devastating when confident, drifting when not. A forward whose best work has come from that left channel, driving inside, finishing with power and precision, yet one who still divides opinion over his consistency at the very top bracket.

Current Situation

Right now, the debate around him is complicated by absence as much as form. Rashford has been out of the picture at Manchester United for a prolonged spell. His last appearance, the 426th of his United career, came in a Europa League tie against Viktoria Plzen on 12 December 2024. Just days earlier, he had reminded everyone of his threat, scoring twice against Everton to move to 138 goals for the club.

Then, silence. Eighteen months of it.

The gap has only amplified the noise. Around Old Trafford, Rashford remains a constant talking point despite being nowhere near the pitch. His numbers, his age, his history with the club – they all feed into the same question: is there still a world-class forward waiting to be restored, or has his peak already passed?

Michael Carrick's Influence

Michael Carrick, now the man in the United dugout, holds that answer. If he can coax Rashford back to his best, the forward effectively becomes a new signing without a transfer fee. A homegrown talent, already embedded in the club’s identity, returning with something to prove.

Arsenal's Equation

For Arsenal, the equation is different. Arteta has built a young, hungry side that presses, interchanges and suffocates opponents. A rejuvenated Rashford on that left flank, given the licence Dixon describes, would add direct running and ruthless finishing to an attack already brimming with movement and craft.

The risk? Letting a gifted youngster like Lewis-Skelly develop his game somewhere else and watching him blossom into exactly the kind of player Arsenal usually want to keep. The reward? A ready-made forward with a track record on big stages, reborn in a new environment under a manager famed for detailed, hands-on coaching.

Dixon has nailed his colours to the mast. He would take the gamble. The more intriguing question now is whether either club is brave enough to test it.