Manchester City and Barcelona have expressed interest in Arsenal’s highly rated midfield prospect Max Dowman, FootballTransfers understands, but the Gunners remain determined to keep hold of the teenager and mould him into a first-team star at the Emirates.
Dowman, who only turned 15 in December, has already earned recognition at England youth level and has been making waves within Arsenal’s Hale End academy. His composed presence in midfield, technical maturity, and footballing intelligence have caught the attention of elite European scouts – most notably from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and La Liga giants Barcelona.
Sources close to the situation suggest both clubs have made initial approaches to signal their interest in Dowman, aware of the long-term potential he holds.
Barcelona, who have continued to prioritise youth recruitment through their famed La Masia network, are said to admire Dowman’s style and see him as a natural fit for their possession-based philosophy. The Camp Nou side are at a major disadvantage in their pursuit as Dowman cannot join them until he turns 18 unless his parents relocate to Spain.
That is not the case with Man City, who see Dowman as a long-term project who could follow in the footsteps of players like Phil Foden in their development model.
Gunners confident of retaining Dowman
Arsenal are fully aware of the interest and remain relaxed about the situation. The North London club believe they have the right structure, pathway, and philosophy in place to help Dowman thrive – and are committed to integrating him into their long-term plans under Mikel Arteta.
Club insiders view Dowman as one of the standout talents of his age group and a potential homegrown star of the future. There’s a clear ambition at Arsenal to turn him into a first-team regular in the years ahead, mirroring the progress of players like Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, who have both emerged from the academy ranks to feature at senior level.
While Dowman is still in the early stages of his development, Arsenal’s intent is clear: fend off European giants and build the next generation of Gunners superstars from within.
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