Max Dowman has signed a scholarship deal with Arsenal, with a verbal agreement in place for his first professional contract when he’s old enough.
Isaan Khan of the Daily Mail broke the news on Thursday that Max Dowman has signed scholarship terms with Arsenal, committing his next couple of seasons to the Gunners.
David Ornstein confirmed for The Athletic that Arsenal have reached an agreement with Dowman over a scholarship deal, with a professional contract expected to follow when he turns 17.
Ornstein added that Dowman could have made more money moving to a rival club, but he was determined to stay at Arsenal. His family are lifelong Arsenal fans, and his father handled contract negotiations.
Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal and Dowman’s camp have a verbal agreement in place for the player to sign a professional contract when he’s old enough.
Ornstein clarifies that once Dowman turns 16, on December 31st, the club can then officially offer and pre-agree a contract to take effect on his 17th birthday.
In summary, Dowman’s new scholarship deal will have him under contract until 2028, but when he officially signs his professional contract the expiry date will shift to 2029.
If Arsenal then want to extend the midfielder’s contract again, perhaps offering him a five-year deal, they’ll only be able to do so once he’s 18, on 31st December 2027.
Dowman has regularly been involved with the Arsenal first team this season, appearing in the squad eight times and coming off the bench on three occasions.
The youngster has also made three appearances for the Arsenal academy in 2025/26, scoring four goals. Most recently, he netted a brace for the Arsenal u19s against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Youth League.
The 15-year-old is also an England u19 international, and his coaches for both club and country clearly have high hopes for his future.