Max Dowman stays! Arsenal sign wonderkid to pre-contract terms as 16-year-old sensation names three role models who convinced him to remain at boyhood club

Dowman will be cleared to pen professional terms when turning 17 on December 31. Arsenal have put plans in place to ensure that no questions are asked of the youngster’s future ahead of that birthday being reached.

The Gunners have billed another product of their fabled academy system as “one of England’s most exciting young prospects”. They have seen the classy playmaker - who can also operate on the wing - rewrite the history books on a regular basis.

Dowman made his debut for Arsenal’s U18 team at just 13 years of age, and became the youngest player to register a goal in the UEFA Youth League when hitting the net in that competition aged 14.

The target has been found on 27 occasions across 34 outings for the Gunners’ U18 and U21 teams, with 10 assists being registered along the way. A senior breakthrough has already been enjoyed under first-team manager Mikel Arteta.

Dowman was involved in Arsenal’s pre-season plans during the summer of 2025, as he featured during a tour of Asia, and made his Premier League bow against Leeds in August of that year - becoming the youngest player to figure for the Gunners and the second-youngest to grace the English top-flight.

Aged 15 years and 302 days, a first start was earned in a Carabao Cup clash with Brighton in October 2025. Six days later, Dowman became the youngest player to turn out in the Champions League when stepping off the bench in a European clash with Slavia Prague.

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Arteta has been full of praise for Dowman, with the teenager showing maturity well beyond his years. Arsenal’s manager said of throwing another hot prospect in at the deep end: “What he's done on the pitch - he comes in, the first ball he takes is he takes people on, he starts to dribble and gets a foul.

“That's personality, that's courage - and you cannot teach that. You have it or you don't. And it doesn't matter what his passport says. You throw him in this context and he is able to adapt and have a good performance.”

Arteta added, with Dowman taking in five appearances across all competitions this season: “The way he plays, he attracts a lot of contact. He's so good at timing the right moment to move the ball when the opponent makes the next step. We have a massive player there.”

Dowman is delighted to be committing his future to Arsenal, with there never any other club that he wanted to play for. He has told the team’s official website of agreeing pre-contract terms and following in the footsteps of fellow academy graduates that went before him: “This means everything to me and my family. We all support Arsenal and I really feel like I belong here. I’d like to thank all my coaches, teammates and, most importantly, my family and friends, who have got me to where I am today.

“I’ve been at the club my whole life, so this really means a lot. There’s such a clear pathway here, players who have come through our academy, like Bukayo [Saka], Myles [Lewis-Skelly] and Ethan [Nwaneri], who all really inspire me. It’s amazing to have role models so close that have experienced the same thing that I have. I’m now so excited to continue to work hard with my development.”

Dowman could become a Premier League title winner in 2026, as Arsenal continue to lead the way there, while Arteta’s side are also through to the last-16 of the Champions League, fourth round of the FA Cup and hold a narrow 3-2 lead over Chelsea in their Carabao Cup semi-final.