**Max Dowman**has signed a pre-contract agreement with Arsenal.
This news means that he is in line to agree professional terms with his boyhood club when he turns 17 in December as another example of the production line from Hale End academy in recent years.
Bukayo Saka stands out as the ‘franchise player’ on the roster while Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri broke through impressively in the 2024/25 campaign as internal solutions to injury crisis.
However, Dowman might be the most exciting talent of all. He was already attracting attention in the UEFA Youth League as a 14-year-old, becoming the youngest scorer in the competition against **Atalanta**in September 2024. He then made his first team debut in preseason against **AC Milan**in July 2025, earning a penalty as a substitute in a friendly against **Villarreal**the following month.
The start of the season saw records tumble for the 15-year-old. He is the second youngest Premier League player in the history of the club after earning a penalty in a 5-0 triumph over **Leeds United**in August, and he became their youngest ever starter in a 2-0 win over **Brighton**in the Carabao Cup.
As a substitute in our 3-0 victory away to Slavia Prague in November, Dowman then became the youngest ever player in the history of the Champions League. An ankle injury has paused his playing time, but the teenager talked excitedly about what his future holds in the first team for the Gunners.
“This means everything to me and my family. We all support Arsenal and I really feel like I belong here. I’d like to thank all my coaches, teammates and, most importantly, my family and friends, who have got me to where I am today.
“I’ve been at the club my whole life, so this really means a lot. There’s such a clear pathway here, players who have come through our academy, like Bukayo, Myles and Ethan, who all inspire me.
“It’s amazing to have role models so close that have experienced the same thing that I have. I’m now so excited to continue to work hard with my development.”