Arsenal continue to have to fight their Premier League rivals to keep Hale End’s most prized assets in North London.
The Gunners have lost a number of their academy’s most promising talents in recent years, including the likes of Omari Hutchinson, Chido Obi and Amario Cozier-Duberry.
Ayden Heaven joined Manchester United in January, with the defender becoming the latest Arsenal prospect to depart N5 before establishing himself in Mikel Arteta’s first team.
With several more exciting youngsters threatening to break into the senior set-up, Arteta will be hoping the club’s hierarchy are able to avoid past mistakes and keep hold of potential future stars.
Premier League clubs are trying to sign Arsenal star Max Dowman
Max Dowman is making waves in the Arsenal academy, with the 15-year-old already training with the first team on numerous occasions.
The Gunners’ under-18s crashed out of the FA Youth Cup on Friday night against Manchester United, but Dowman wowed fans with a sublime performance, in what was his Emirates Stadium debut.
Only turning 15 in December, the wonderkid is yet to sign his first professional contract, with Arsenal reportedly desperately attempting to tie him down to a long-term deal.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Charles Watts revealed that other clubs are already looming around Dowman.
“Dowman really did sparkle as well [against Manchester United],” Watts said.
“You can see when you watch him, just why there’s so much hype about him, why Arsenal are so excited about him and why clubs across England are desperately trying to lure him away from Arsenal before he signs that first professional contract.
“The ball just seems to be glued to his feet – really really exciting talent.”
While the blistering talent is exciting for Arsenal, this excitement will mean nothing if they aren’t able to seal the deal in the negotiating room.
With Heaven and Obi jumping ship for more guaranteed minutes at United in the last 12 months, there’ll understandably be apprehension around London Colney about Dowman.
Max Dowman could eventually replace Martin Odegaard
Dowman stunned the on-looking Emirates crowd on Friday night, with a performance that perfectly encapsulated his frightening potential.
The creative midfielder ran the game, carrying Arsenal forward with impressive bursts, driving into the final third and taking shots from various different angles.
One particular pass in the first half completely split the United defence, and was reminiscent of Martin Odegaard at his rip-roaring best.
With the Norwegian flailing at the moment, Arsenal could be looking at who is next in line to the creative thrown in the Gunners’ first team.
Dowman is certainly a candidate, with the way he moves with the ball and the accuracy at which he passes so similar to his first team counterpart.
Some believe Dowman is already a better passer than Odegaard, and while this may be far-fetched, it’s certainly an indictment of his extreme quality at such a young age.
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