Lee Dixon Backs Marcus Rashford Move to Arsenal
Lee Dixon has thrown his weight behind the idea of Marcus Rashford in an Arsenal shirt – even if it means sacrificing one of the club’s brightest academy prospects to make it happen.
The former Gunners defender believes a swap involving Myles Lewis-Skelly and Rashford would work for both players, and that Mikel Arteta’s touch on the training ground could unlock a version of Rashford that has drifted out of view at Manchester United.
“Would I swap them (Myles Lewis Skelly and Marcus Rashford)? You know what, I probably would,” Dixon told BestBettingSites.
It was a blunt answer, but not a dismissal of the teenager. For Dixon, the move is about opportunity, not rejection.
He stressed that Lewis-Skelly, highly regarded inside Arsenal, might benefit from stepping out of the shadow of a stacked midfield and developing elsewhere. “And that's nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly, it's about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere,” Dixon said, framing the deal as a chance for the youngster to grow rather than a cold trade-off.
The real intrigue lies with Rashford. Once the face of United’s future, he has slipped into the background.
“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,” Dixon added.
It is a pointed observation. Arteta has built a reputation for reviving careers and sharpening edges – from turning Granit Xhaka into a key figure before his exit, to elevating players like Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka into leaders of a title-chasing side. Rashford, a confidence player if ever there was one, fits the profile of a forward who could respond to that kind of detailed, emotional management.
Dixon did not gloss over the doubts. “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 line captures the dilemma around Rashford: the talent is unquestioned, the reliability less so.
His recent record underlines the sense of a career paused. The forward has been out of the picture at United for a prolonged spell. His last appearance in red came in a Europa League tie against Viktoria Plzen on 12 December 2024, the 426th outing of his United career. Earlier that month he had struck twice against Everton, taking his tally to 138 goals for the club – numbers that speak of a major figure at Old Trafford, not a fringe player.
Then, silence. Eighteen months out of sight, yet never fully out of the conversation.
Rashford’s name still hangs over Old Trafford, a constant reference point whenever United’s attack misfires or the squad’s direction is questioned. For Michael Carrick, now in the dugout and tasked with restoring clarity and bite to United’s play, the equation is simple: if he can get Rashford firing again, it will feel less like a returning player and more like a marquee signing dropped straight into his squad.
Arsenal, meanwhile, continue to search for marginal gains in a title race decided by fine details. A rejuvenated Rashford cutting in from the left under Arteta’s guidance is the kind of scenario that tempts former players like Dixon to say what many quietly wonder: is this exactly the sort of gamble a club with serious ambitions should be prepared to take?
