Mikel Arteta says Arsenal have a young player who's progressing so fast, nobody expected it
Mikel Arteta has given opportunities to several young players at Arsenal over the years.
Even though Unai Emery gave Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka their debuts, it’s the current Gunners boss who has helped them develop into big names.
Arteta has also played a key role in the development of Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in North London.
Now, the Arsenal manager has had his say on another elite young talent.
Mikel Arteta says nobody expected Max Dowman to develop this fast at Arsenal
Max Dowman is one of the best young players in the world.
The attacker is already a member of the first-team squad despite being just 16 years old. That almost never happens, especially at a club this big.
Dowman made a huge contribution in the 2025/26 season to help Arsenal win the Premier League title, and he will be hoping to do the same starting Friday.
Mikel Arteta was asked about his young superstar, and he claimed that Dowman is progressing quicker than anyone thought he would.
However, the next step is consistency.
Arteta said on Men in Blazers: “Well, he’s evolving probably faster than everybody expected, but in a really settled way. I think he has had some very good moments in games.
“Now, we need to make him very consistent through our games. But he’s so willing. He has an amazing talent. We have the right people to take him through this journey.
“And then, like anybody else, he’s going to have to earn every minute that he’s on that pitch because the competition is going to be strong.”
Max Dowman could end Noni Madueke’s Arsenal career in 2025/26
Dowman has already produced a number of exceptional performances for Arsenal since the start of last year’s pre-season.
The 16-year-old is an elite talent, and at the moment, Arteta seems to prefer him on the right wing, where Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke also play.
Nobody is displacing Saka anytime soon, but Madueke didn’t have a great debut season, and he wasn’t particularly impressive in the Community Shield against Manchester City either.
If Dowman adds consistency to his game and takes his chances, we won’t be surprised at all if he becomes the number two right winger at the club.
Madueke’s Arsenal career would then be as good as done.
