Mikel Merino makes bold Lamine Yamal comparison as he hails Arsenal's 'unbelievable' teenage sensation Max Dowman

Merino has heaped praise on Arsenal wonderkid Dowman. The Spain international believes the highly-rated teenager is an "unbelievable talent" who is already proving he can mix it with senior professionals. Dowman is the latest academy product to generate massive excitement for the Gunners. His rapid development has even drawn comparisons to one of the world's most exciting youngsters.

Merino sees distinct similarities between Dowman and his international team-mate Yamal. The winger broke through at Barcelona at just 16 before starring in Spain's Euro 2024 triumph and this summer's World Cup victory.

According to Merino, it is Dowman's fearless mentality that mirrors Yamal the most. Both teenagers have demonstrated an ability to play without fear when stepping up to the senior stage.

"Yeah, I would say there are some similarities in terms of their character," Merino explained, as quoted by Sky Sports. "They don’t care about the spotlight, they thrive when pressure is at the highest, they are always up for the challenge and they are not shy at all – even facing the biggest names in the game, so they are very similar."

Despite his obvious ability, Dowman remains grounded at the club. Merino stressed that integrating such a young talent requires a delicate balance of encouragement and reality checks.

"The good thing with these kind of players – Lamine and Max – is that they are special talents, but at the same time they are very humble," Merino added. "They are always keen to learn and listen to the veterans. That is priceless.

"So, we are very happy to have him, but at the same time he knows that we are here to help him and sometimes even if we push him a little bit, he knows it’s for his own good. He is a very good kid.

"He is a big talent, and we have to take care of him. We have to keep pushing him. He needs to keep learning – eyes and ears open always. There is still big room for improvement in a lot of areas and he knows that, so we are going to be by his side trying to get him to his best level."

Dowman recently put in a brilliant performance for the Gunners, scoring two goals in a 4–2 victory over Ipswich Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Although he has yet to secure regular first-team minutes, the 16-year-old remains focused on continuing his development with Arsenal's youth squad.