Marcus Rashford: A Potential Arsenal Signing?

Lee Dixon can see it now. Marcus Rashford, back on the left flank, head up, shoulders loose, an Arsenal shirt on his back and Mikel Arteta in his ear.

Pressed on whether he would trade Arsenal’s highly rated youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly for the Manchester United forward, the former Gunners defender didn’t hesitate for long.

“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 Arsenal’s academy talent. For Dixon, the logic lies in timing and opportunity.

He framed it as a move that could work for both players: Lewis-Skelly given the space to grow away from the glare of north London, Rashford handed a reset under a coach renowned for his touchline intensity and meticulous man-management.

“And that's nothing against Myles Lewis-Skelly, it's about giving him the freedom to go and expand his game elsewhere,” Dixon said, underlining that this hypothetical deal would be about development as much as immediate impact.

The real fascination for him sits with Rashford. A player who has drifted from the spotlight at Old Trafford, yet still carries the aura of someone who can change a game in a heartbeat.

“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.

That line cuts to the heart of Rashford’s current story. Talent never in doubt. Consistency very much up for debate.

“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,” Dixon admitted. It was an honest caveat, not a deal-breaker. In his eyes, Arsenal’s current options make the gamble worthwhile.

Right now, Rashford feels like a name from a recent past at United rather than a weekly presence. The forward has been on a prolonged spell away from action, his last appearance for the club coming in a Europa League tie against Viktoria Plzen on 12 December 2024. That outing was number 426 in United colours.

Just days earlier, he had reminded everyone of his cutting edge, scoring twice against Everton to move to 138 goals for the club. Those numbers still place him in serious company at Old Trafford, a reminder of what he has already delivered.

Then, silence. Eighteen months out of the picture, yet still central to the conversation. Rashford’s absence has only sharpened the debate: is this a decline, a pause, or a chance for reinvention?

Around Old Trafford, his name still carries weight. If new United manager Michael Carrick can reignite him, Rashford will not just return as another squad option. He will feel like a brand-new signing dropped into a familiar shirt, and that, for United or any potential suitor like Arsenal, is the kind of wild card that can tilt a season.