Arsenal may already have another youngster emerging through their academy who is as impressive as Max Dowman.
The Hale End academy has produced a number of incredibly talented individuals in recent years, including the likes of Bukayo Saka, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Dowman is the latest wonderkid to burst onto the scene in N5, with the 15-year-old already delivering some eye-catching displays off the bench for the Gunners’ first team this season.
It doesn’t seem as though this fruitful production line is going to stop any time soon.
Luis Munoz could be Arsenal’s next Max Dowman
Arsenal’s academy has arguably established itself as one of the top two or three in the country over the last few years.
The Hale End operation, run by Per Mertesacker, has done an exceptional job at producing players who are capable of playing at a high senior level since the late 2010s.
Dowman is the one attracting attention at the moment, but it’s possible that it’ll be someone else in two or three years’ time.
Arsenal’s under-16s faced Brighton on Saturday afternoon, and their squad for the encounter included 13-year-old Luis Munoz.
Playing three years above his age group, this is something Dowman did regularly throughout his development, and Munoz is rated similarly to the prospect two years his senior.
The England under-15 international is an attacking midfielder who is capable of playing in other positions across the front four.
As well as England, Munoz is eligible to play for Spain, Panama or Jamaica.
Arsenal’s academy will be crucial to the development of the club in the coming years
Arsenal have struggled to sell players for substantial fees in the last ten years.
However, some of the players they have garnered significant sums for have emanated from their academy. The likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Joe Willock have all had their departures sanctioned for in excess of £25 million since 2021.
Developing players who are good enough to play in the Premier League could be a fruitful way of generating revenue to reinvest in the squad as Mikel Arteta’s project moves forward.
Those who aren’t quite good enough to play in a team with title aspirations, but are good enough to play regularly at the majority of teams in the league will attract interest from English clubs, and will subsequently bring in money.
Meanwhile, those who are good enough will save the Gunners a lot of money in the transfer market, meaning this academy system will be crucial to Arsenal’s success.
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