Max Dowman explodes past €60m as Arsenal wonderkid puts Bukayo Saka under pressure
Max Dowman’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has soared, with the wonderkid now rated at €63.5 million by FootballTransfers’ algorithm, making him comfortably the most valuable player aged under 18 in the world.
Dowman’s star has been on the rise with Arsenal’s first team since he came to widespread public attention by making his debut as a 15-year-old.
Although he has featured on only 18 occasions for the first team, he has returned an impressive three goals and one assist in just 676 minutes of senior football.
Already this season, he scored two goals in an EFL Cup victory over Ipswich Town, and though he was controversially sent off in the following round against Fleetwood, he has still seen his value jump an astonishing €53.4m.
Dowman’s challenge is to now earn more regular first-team football for the Gunners, something that promises to be a challenge given the strength and depth in Mikel Arteta’s squad.
To emphasise just how far ahead of his peers Dowman is, the next most valuable 16-year-old is Metz midfielder Believe Munongo at €14.3m. This pair are exceptional. There is not another player of their age valued at more than €2m.
Meanwhile, Dowman is also far more valuable than anyone even a year older than him. Kennet Eichhorn of Bayer Leverkusen is worth €27.8m while Jeremy Monga, who was linked with a move to Arsenal in the summer, is rated at €20.9m.
Saka struggles as Dowman thrives
While there is much to celebrate at Arsenal currently, one niggling issue is the continued struggles of Bukayo Saka, whose value has dropped €15.6m to €97.1m over the course of the last month.
Saka remains a favourite of many fans, but his recent performances have divided opinion among the Arsenal faithful. Last season he managed 11 goals and nine assists in 49 appearances, which are numbers below the standard he has set himself. He started this campaign with promise but has since been laid up with a thigh problem set to keep him out until December.
The 25-year-old is highly rated, but there’s little doubt that his level has fallen in the past couple of seasons, and that’s reflected by the fall in his ETV.
Saka’s issues, though, are opening the door to Dowman. While the winger is on the sidelines, it is providing space for the teenager to get precious first-team minutes.
With Arsenal winning back-to-back games against Everton and Liverpool without Saka, questions over the winger's importance to Arteta's side are beginning to emerge. Dowman's continued development is only likely to intensify that debate, particularly if the teenager takes advantage of the opportunities presented by his teammate's absence.
