Arsenal legend Lee Dixon says he ‘would swap’ Myles Lewis-Skelly for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford were the opportunity to present itself this summer.
Lewis-Skelly broke out of Arsenal’s academy ranks to establish himself as a genuine first-team star two years ago, making 23 top-flight appearances across an outstanding debut season with his boyhood team.
And while Lewis-Skelly got his hands on the Premier League trophy at the end of the club’s title-winning season last term, it proved a much trickier campaign for the 19-year-old from a personal perspective.
The versatile teenager, a product of Arsenal’s Hale End academy, fell out of favour as Riccardo Calafiori nailed down his spot at Mikel Arteta’s first-choice left-back with a series of excellent performances.
Sign up to our daily football newsletter for personalised updates on who your team is trying to sign and who won't be around next season.
There was a resurgence from Lewis-Skelly towards the back-end of the season, though, and he became the second-youngest player – after Trent Alexander-Arnold – to start a Champions League final in May, albeit in defeat.
Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications.
But with Arsenal adding further strength to their midfield in the shape of £75million arrival Bruno Guimaraes, it appears Lewis-Skelly’s path to regular first-team minutes could be further blocked heading into the new campaign.
Manchester United have been keeping close tabs on the situation and are reportedly plotting an offer with a view to prising Lewis-Skelly away from the Emirates before the summer transfer deadline.
While the Gunners are believed to have ruled out the possibility of Lewis Skelly leaving, Dixon could see the sense in sanctioning a move – especially if a player such as Rashford is thrown into the mix as a makeweight in any potential deal.
‘Would I swap them? You know what, I probably would,’ the ex-Arsenal and England full-back told BestBettingSites.
‘That’s nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly; it’s about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere.‘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.’
Though Dixon has some ‘reservations’ about signing Rashford, he feels Arteta may be a little short of options in attack following Leandro Trossard’s recent departure for Besiktas.
‘I have my reservations about whether he’s consistently a top-class player,’ he added,