Max Dowman is one of the hottest prospects at Hale End right now, but what plans do Arsenal have for the starlet?
It’s very rare that a player of only 15 years old is spoken about as heavily as Dowman is right now.
The Englishman is thriving in Arsenal’s academy, already playing way beyond his age group to make waves big enough to catch Mikel Arteta’s attention.
Arteta included Dowman in the mid-season trip to Dubai, telling of just how highly the Arsenal manager rates the teenage sensation.
Arsenal have no doubts about Max Dowman’s future in rave academy review
Arsenal’s academy is up and running once more, with Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly the new poster boys for Hale End.
Graduates to Arteta’s first team were sparse following Bukayo Saka’s emergence under Unai Emery, with Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly returning attention to the youngsters at the club.
In Dowman, Arsenal have a player of innate quality, being an attacking midfielder who is already showing traits of being a starlet capable of playing amongst the best.
- READ MORE: Max Dowman just made another huge step towards Arsenal debut with latest academy progression
The 15-year-old has a strong place to perfect his craft whilst he waits for his call up to senior level, with Arsenal feeling very strongly about their academy set-up right now.
That’s the understanding of TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey, who shared an insight with Arsenal Insider into how the Gunners view their academy.
“Arsenal are very happy in their own skin. They think their academy is the best in Europe. They’re very happy with where they are,” the journalist revealed.
Bailey went on to comment on the departures of Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven, who snubbed an Emirates stay in favour of a transfer to Manchester United.
“With Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven, if a player isn’t happy in the Arsenal academy, then so be it.
“None of these academies are going to beg you to stay, they’re going to give you the platform to play. Arsenal have got Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri about to play for England. If you think you’re better off elsewhere then, hey.”
Naturally, conversation turned to Dowman, who is said to be loving life at Colney, with the Gunners feeling the same.
“Every team in the world would want Dowman but I’m told he’s very happy at Arsenal,” Bailey said.
“[There are] no worries in the slightest about him. They’re very happy with his progress.”
- READ MORE: Why Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven left Arsenal
What Mikel Arteta has said about Max Dowman
Having reaped the benefits of easing Nwaneri into the first team, handing the forward his Premier League debut at just 15, Arteta is excited about Dowman’s potential.
Speaking to the media in January ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Dinamo Zagreb, Arteta called Dowman ‘unbelievable’, admitting his progress is going ‘very well’.
“Very impressive, at his age as well. Some of the things he does in training are unbelievable.
“He’s a player obviously with a huge talent that we have a lot of belief that we can develop him into becoming one of our own and he’s doing very well so far.”
This season is marginally too soon for Dowman to impress at senior level due to rules regarding his birth date and his age, but the teenager won’t mind.
For now, the 15-year-old will continue to tear things up in the academy, where he’s becoming impossible to ignore.
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