Arsenal fans will be eager to see Max Dowman follow the same path as Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri.
Mikel Arteta turned Lewis-Skelly from a Hale End hopeful to an Arsenal starter and an England international in less than a year.
Nwaneri has followed a similar journey, and now, the torch looks set to be passed to Dowman.
Still only 15, there’s a long way to go in the playmaker’s career, but already, Dowman is showing that he’s ready to compete with the very best.
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Arsenal already working on Max Dowman contract
Dowman is committed to Arsenal, as the player’s father confirmed amid baffling claims of Chelsea wanting to poach the Gunners’ prodigy.
Over the previous year, the attacking midfielder’s rise has been impossible to ignore, making Arteta’s plans for Dowman unsurprising.
The Gunners value the rising star as much as the teen is relishing the opportunities he’s getting at Hale End, already playing beyond his years with the U18s squad.
So what’s next for Dowman?
Journalist Chris Wheatley took to his column for Sporting News to reveal that talks are ‘underway’ between Arsenal and Dowman over a pre-professional contract, with it clear that the player ‘wants to stay’.
The youngster won’t actually be able to sign the contract until December, which is when he turns 16.
Tying the 2009-born star down to a pre-professional deal is a must for the Gunners, who will be desperate to continue to develop the teen in the next steps of his career.
When can Dowman sign a professional contract at Arsenal?
Over the 2024/25 footballing calendar, Dowman contributed to 24 goals in 23 appearances in Arsenal’s academy.
His talent has impressed those at Hale End so much that he even earned one appearance with the U21s, and four with the U19s.
All roads are leading Dowman to the Arsenal first team, but contractually, there’s a lot to work through.
First, a pre-professional contract will be signed on his 16th birthday, as he’s not eligible to put pen to paper on a professional deal until he is 17.
That being said, before he turns 17 in December 2026, the player can agree on a deal in advance, as well as sign scholarship terms with the Gunners.
On the pitch, however, things could be about to get very exciting for the teenager, who could break Nwaneri’s record to become the youngest Arsenal player to feature in the Premier League.
For Dowman, he’ll be taking things one step at a time, but it’s already clear that a talent like his can’t succumb to boundaries.
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