Mikel Arteta has confirmed 15-year-old Max Dowman will be in consideration for Arsenal’s Premier League squads this season.
Arteta wouldn’t say whether Dowman, who has impressed during pre-season, would be involved against Manchester United this Sunday, but admitted the teenager had proven he was ready to step up.
“Well, he's going to be in and around the team. We're going to have to manage his development very well, his next steps, and now we are fully connected with everybody in order to achieve that,” Arteta said.
Dowman caught the eye during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia, impressing off the bench against AC Milan and Newcastle.
Despite not turning 16 until December, Dowman has been in and around Arsenal’s first team since last season, when he travelled with the squad on their warm-weather training camp to Dubai in February.
Arteta is a big fan of the young midfielder and said he was on the cusp of first-team minutes.
“So [we want to] make sure that we give the platform that he needs, the time that he needs, the environment that he needs, and I'm sure he's going to push every door towards the first team and have opportunities with us,” the Spaniard continued.
Dowman is permitted to play in the Premier League and cup competitions but will have to wait until he turns 16 before he is allowed to play in the Champions League.
A victim of his own remarkable rise, Dowman will hope he can build on a productive pre-season and stake a claim for minutes as Arsenal look to fight on four fronts.
