Arsenal surprisingly acquires a talent rated higher than Messi

Arsenal has confirmed that Max Dowman has reached an agreement with the club to sign his first professional contract, and coach Mikel Arteta quickly attracted attention by likening the 16-year-old prodigy to Lionel Messi.

Dowman has broken multiple records wearing the "Gunners" jersey, becoming the youngest player ever to start for Arsenal and also the youngest in history to appear in the Champions League, all before turning 16. This young midfielder will officially sign his professional contract with Arsenal when he turns 17 this coming December. Dowman stated that this contract "means everything" to him.

Coach Mikel Arteta, who previously played for Barcelona, PSG, and Everton, said he has only seen one talent with qualities similar to Dowman’s, and that is Lionel Messi.

According to The Guardian, Arteta shared: “What he has achieved at age 15, personally, I have never witnessed before. Only one player who wore the Barcelona jersey (Messi) and perhaps not even to that extent. Moreover, he has a unique charisma and personality. Dowman is never overwhelmed, whether by circumstances, opponents, or the stadium atmosphere. That is an extremely important trait.”

Arteta also emphasized the importance of Dowman’s environment: “Having good role models at the club is very helpful. But it’s not only the players; his family also plays a crucial role. They are at a vital stage in education and development, and we are very aware of our responsibility.

Dowman is doing very well, has a wonderful family, and they trust the direction we are giving him. Now it all depends on him and us, to build an incredible career together.”

Currently, Dowman is dealing with an ankle injury, which has prevented him from increasing his appearances for Arsenal to five. However, once fully recovered, the 2009-born player is likely to return to the first team soon, especially given that Ethan Nwaneri, another product of Arsenal’s academy, has been loaned out to Marseille.