“He’s unmarkable in training, Having played against Lamine Yamal so many times I thinks he’s mor3 difficult to mark”: Arsenal defender Christian Mosquera names Gunners teenager as the most difficult player he has ever seen
Cristhian Mosquera has admitted that 15-year-old Arsenal academy graduate Max Dowman has blown him away since he joined the Gunners in the summer.
The North London club signed the Spanish defender from Valencia during the last transfer window, and he joined them on the pre-season tour of Asia.
Mosquera got to know his Arsenal teammates better during those weeks, and he was impressed after discovering Dowman’s age given the huge potential and displays of the talented winger.
“I don’t mean to compare, but his style and way of playing is like Lamine Yamal,” the defender told The Athletic.
“His movements are Lamine-esque. I didn’t have him on my radar and when I got to Singapore, he was already training and playing. When they told me he was 15, I couldn’t believe it. He really is an incredible player, and I think he’s going to be world-class.
“You see 17- and 18-year-olds like Myles (Lewis-Skelly) or Ethan (Nwaneri) and they play like they’re 30, like they’ve been playing football their whole lives. It’s incredible.”
Dowman made his Premier League debut in August, coming on as a substitute in the 64th minute against Leeds United.
He became the second-youngest player in the history of the English top-flight at 15 years and 235 days and has since made two more appearances across all competitions since then.
Dowman won a penalty against Leeds and could now get plenty more opportunities in the coming weeks following an injury to Martin Odegaard.
The Gunners captain is out of action until after the November international break after picking up a knock in the first half against West Ham United earlier this month.
Odegaard is set to miss at least six games across all competitions, with manager Mikel Arteta having to look elsewhere.
The Norwegian midfielder will be unavailable for the Premier League games against Fulham, Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland and the Champions League games against Atletico Madrid and Slavia Prague.
It could be good news for Dowman and the teenage sensation will be desperate to impress anytime he gets on the pitch.
