Arsenal starlet Max Dowman
Max Dowman has been linked with a loan move away from the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta has responded positively to Argentine legend Lionel Messi’s prediction that highly-rated Arsenal starlet Max Dowman is already on the road to greatness.
The 16-year-old forward is already firmly established as part of the Premier League champions’ first-team squad and is pushing for more game time.
Dowman’s only start so far this season came in the 4-2 Carabao Cup win against Ipswich, a game in which he underlined his status as one of the game’s top talents by scoring a brace in a Man of the Match performance.
Despite being across the pond with Inter Miami, Dowman has still caught the eye of Messi, who has named the teenager among 10 youngsters who he expects to have bright futures in the game.
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“If Messi, who is the best ever player, says that,” Arteta said, as he smiled in response to Messi’s new advert for adidas.
“His eyes are I think better than anybody else’s. Hopefully he’s right.”
When asked why he thinks Dowman is standing out to someone of Messi’s stature, Arteta added: “That he’s got something special.
“In the few appearances that he had, he’s already done remarkable things. That’s somebody that is touched with a special gift.
“He’s a joy to watch. The way he moves, the way he touches the ball, the way he carries himself, it’s just different.
“And that’s what makes him unique.”
Giroud relishing Emirates return
Meanwhile, Oliver Giroud has revealed that leaving Arsenal was the ‘toughest choice’ of his career as he prepares to make his return to Emirates Stadium at the grand old age of 40.
Giroud found the target 105 times in 235 appearances across nearly six years for the Gunners before heading to London rivals Chelsea ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
After stints at AC Milan and Los Angeles FC, he is now back in his homeland and set to face Arsenal when he lines up for Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.
“Arsenal was a major part of my career and I had to leave in order to play at the 2018 World Cup,” said Giroud.
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“I was really sad when I left the club but I had to make that choice, and it was one of the toughest ones in my career, but it was important and necessary for the rest of my career.
“So, it is great to come back at 40 years old with a French club and to play against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. That is a blessing. It is something I wanted to happen, and I feel very lucky.”