Arsenal legend Lee Dixon has revealed he would sanction a swap deal involving Myles Lewis-Skelly and Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, should the opportunity arise before the summer transfer deadline. Speaking to BestBettingSites, the former England full-back expressed his willingness to part with the 19-year-old academy product, despite his Premier League winner's medal and Champions League final appearance.
Lewis-Skelly's Rise and Fall
Lewis-Skelly burst onto the scene two years ago, making 23 top-flight appearances in an outstanding debut season. However, last term proved more challenging as Riccardo Calafiori cemented his place as Mikel Arteta's first-choice left-back. Despite a late resurgence, the versatile teenager found himself on the bench more often than not, and Arsenal's £75million signing of Bruno Guimaraes further clouds his path to regular minutes.
His Champions League final start in May made him the second-youngest player to achieve that feat, after Trent Alexander-Arnold, but it ended in defeat. Manchester United have been monitoring the situation closely, with reports suggesting they are preparing an offer to lure him away from the Emirates.
Dixon's Rationale
Dixon, a key member of Arsenal's famous back four, believes a swap could benefit all parties. 'Would I swap them? You know what, I probably would,' he said. 'That's nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly; it's about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere.'
He added: '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.' Despite reservations about Rashford's consistency, Dixon feels the England international would bolster an attack that lost Leandro Trossard to Besiktas.
United's Left-Back Hunt
United are actively seeking a left-back to support Luke Shaw, with Lewis Hall of Newcastle United their primary target. However, Newcastle have insisted the 21-year-old England international is not for sale. Other options include Racing Santander's Jorge Salinas and Fulham's Antonee Robinson.
Former United defender Phil Bardsley, speaking to Casinolyze, urged his old club to persist in their pursuit of Hall. 'Luke Shaw has looked sharp in pre-season but with his injury record you always worry,' he said. 'I don't think you can always rely on him for a full season, especially when United are back in the Champions League.'
Hall vs Lewis-Skelly
Bardsley believes Hall would be a better fit than Lewis-Skelly, despite the latter's obvious qualities. 'I prefer Lewis Hall to Myles Lewis-Skelly when you look at what Manchester United need this summer. Hall is better suited to playing left-back,' he explained.
'I think if you look at Lewis-Skelly, he's a much better player when you play him in midfield, and I don't think United need another young player going into the middle of the park. They need a proven defensive midfielder who's got that experience to come in and own that position.'
Bardsley acknowledged Lewis-Skelly's achievements but remained firm: 'Listen, he's a quality player. There's no doubt about it. He won the Premier League last season and started in a Champions League final in midfield. But for me, if I had to pick between the two of them, it's Lewis Hall every day of the week and twice on Sunday.'
