Some exciting news for Arsenal fans this morning as a report from the ever reliable Athletic has confirmed that Arsenal wonderkid, Max Dowman, has agreed terms on a scholarship deal and there’s more!
Max Dowman cannot sign any contracts until he turns 16 on 31st December, so it’s been a nervy wait for Arsenal. Dowman’s rise to the Arsenal first team has been so well documented, it feels like every club in Europe has been circling, waiting for a chance to poach him from Arsenal’s academy should contract talks not lead to fruition.
It’s a very similar situation to the one Arsenal found themselves in with Ethan Nwaneri a few years ago and in Nwaneri’s case, it really felt like there was a possibility that he wasn’t going to sign the contract. If memory serves, Nwaneri’s contract was announced very close (or possibly just after) his 16th birthday so news of Dowman’s apparent agreement two months in advance of his birthday is very welcome and is another big moment for Andrea Berta and his team.
The new contracts have been handled very efficiently this time around, with only Bukayo Saka’s deal to be agreed in these next round of contract renewals, which will surely follow in the near future.
The report goes on to say that not only has Dowman agreed a scholarship deal for two years from his 16th birthday, but, perhaps even more exciting, there has also been a professional deal agreed in principle that Dowman can ‘pre-agree’ from the same date.
This is absolutely massive news, as it avoids Arsenal being in the same situation again two years later, on his 18th birthday, when the professional deal can be officially signed. This will also ward off any European teams such as Real Madrid, who have been credited with interest in Dowman, who have the facility to offer lucrative professional contracts earlier than we can in the UK.
Keeping our best and brightest is absolutely integral to what we want to build at Arsenal so to see star boy Max Dowman commit his future to the club sends a message to our rivals, that we are a serious outfit and they shouldn’t bother sniffing round our best talents. It also sends a strong message internally to the ‘next Max Dowman’ or the likes of Marli Salmon, who are probably attracting interest from elsewhere, that their futures remain here and that the pathway to the first team is open.
A contract is never signed until the ink has dried, but this is as close as you can get so I for one, feel very relieved on hearing this news and I’m sure there’s thousands of Gooners out there who feel the same way.