Adrian Clarke believes Arsenal have a player on their books who is more talented than Cesc Fabregas was at this point in his career.
The Gunners have assembled an exceptional squad in recent years, which was bolstered significantly in the summer when Andrea Berta spent £250 million on eight new players.
The strength of Mikel Arteta’s ensemble is clearly bearing fruit, as the North Londoners currently sit top of the Premier League table after eight matches.
As shown by Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup victory over Brighton, even those on the periphery of Arsenal’s squad are exceptionally capable now.
Adrian Clarke says he’s never seen a player as good as Max Dowman at 15
Max Dowman shone for Arsenal against Brighton.
The starlet demonstrated remarkable composure for a player of his age, gliding across the pitch with his effortless dribbling.
Completing five successful dribbles and running Maxim De Cuyper ragged in the process, it was another hugely encouraging display from Dowman.
Speaking on the Arsenal Vision Podcast, pundit and analyst Adrian Clarke waxed lyrical about Dowman, while claiming that he’s more talented than anyone he’s seen at 15, including Fabregas.
“Look, he is a phenomenon,” Clarke said.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. I haven’t seen a player that talented at that age. I just haven’t. I remember Cesc coming through. He was special.
“Jack Wilshere, not quite as special, but exceptional. Bukayo Saka, a little bit older when he came in. But Max, it feels like his talent is on a different level, I’ve got to say. And he electrified the stadium last night.
“He absolutely was scintillating, I think, even though, you know, he didn’t really have, I don’t even know if he had a shot in the end, and he created one chance. You know, the stats would tell you that, okay, he did all right.
“But the eye test was breathtaking to watch, really, because every time he got it, he did something with a bit of flair and a bit of panache. And the thing that really stands out to me, well, there are two things. One is the speed in which he travels with the ball.
“It’s frightening, it’s absolutely frightening. You really wouldn’t want to mark him. Maxim de Cuyper, the Brighton left back, is actually first choice in the Premier League.
“And he ripped him, he went past him as if he wasn’t there three, four times. But the other thing that really, really impresses me is that decision-making at speed as well. He’s got Bukayo Saka’s gene, you know, in terms of making the right calls at the right times in the big moments.
“So it’s only a matter of time before Max becomes more of a regular, before he scores and probably breaks history in doing so. And I think it’s only a matter of time before he’s really pushing, you know, the senior pros for starts in big games.”
- READ MORE: The one reason a six-year-old Max Dowman rejected other clubs for Arsenal, fans will love it
How does Max Dowman compare to Cesc Fabregas at 15?
At 15, Fabregas was part of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, and he’d certainly not come close to making a first team appearance for the Catalan giants.
In fact, the midfielder was so far from breaking into Barcelona’s senior set-up, that he opted to leave for Arsenal shortly after turning 16.
Fabregas would become Arsenal’s youngest ever player in his first season at Highbury, introduced in a League Cup tie against Rotherham at the age of 16 years and 177 days.
However, he made just three appearances in his 16-year-old season, a tally Dowman has already surpassed at 15.
The Spaniard did then enjoy his breakthrough at 17, making 46 appearances across all competitions in the 2004/05 campaign.
Dowman would certainly be content with a similar trajectory, although he currently looks poised to make his breakthrough at an earlier point in his career than Fabregas.
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