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2 hours ago
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Mikel Arteta has likened Max Dowman to a young Lionel Messi after the teenager committed his future to Arsenal.
Dowman, who in November became the youngest player to play in the Champions League at 15 years and 308 days, has signed a pre-agreement for his first professional contract when he turns 17 in December. It is understood several clubs were interested in the England Under-19s forward but there was never real doubt over whether the player who joined Arsenal aged six would stay.
Arteta started his career at Barcelona and was on the books when Messi joined in 2000, although he had gone by the time the Argentina forward made his first-team debut at 17. Arsenal’s manager was asked how Dowman, the youngest player to start a match for Arsenal, compared with other players to have come through the club’s Hale End academy.
“Certainly one of the best,” he said. “What he’s done with us at the age of 15, me personally, I haven’t seen it before. Only with a guy that used to play in Barcelona but maybe not even that. He has a certain charisma as well and personality that he doesn’t get overwhelmed, whether it’s by the situation or the stadium or the opposition, and that’s a huge quality to have. Now it’s down to him and us to build an amazing career with him.”
Dowman has been absent since mid-December with an ankle injury and is unlikely to feature on Saturday at Leeds, against whom he made his debut in August. Arteta has an otherwise full squad as Arsenal attempt to record a first league win in four attempts. But he has pleaded for matchday squads in the Premier League to be extended from 20 to 23, in line with Uefa competitions, arguing that having to leave out two or three players every week was having an effect on their mental health.
“It’s much better to manage the squad, to maintain the value of the players, to maintain the mental health of the players as nobody wants to get out of the squad. I beg them so between all of us to help us with that. We can deal with hotels, travel and all of that, that would be very very helpful for everybody. The worst thing is to leave somebody [out].”
Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot have also recently called for Premier League squads to be extended next season. Arteta said he and Guardiola remained in regular contact after they worked together at Manchester City but rejected suggestions that he should not be so close to a rival, citing the example of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in tennis.
“For me the surprising thing would be not to,” he said. “I think it would be a really bad example for sport. And I think in sport you have to learn and probably the biggest lesson that sport has given us is the relationship, for example, that Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer had. And we are not at that level at all, but one of the best in the history, or the two best, the relation they have between them when they have to play a final, one against one, against each other. So how the hell am I not going to have a great relationship with someone that I admire, I work with, and he’s a colleague? But the same with any other opponent. When it goes to the court, or to the pitch, that’s for the winner.”
