'I know people close to Max Dowman's family, Arsenal offer to be doubled by European giants'
Arsenal's expected move to boost Max Dowman's wages to the £40,000-a-week mark is simply unavoidable.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the midfielder has the right family environment around him to ensure that the money is managed wisely.
This comes amid recent reports that Dowman's weekly wage is likely to rise to £40,000, as he is eligible to sign his first professional contract when he turns 17 on 31 December.
Wyness emphasised that kind of salary is the "going rate" for elite young talents in today's game, and believes that Arsenal should have no qualms about handing him such a lucrative deal.
Dowman has already made seven Premier League appearances for the Gunners and became their youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer last season.
His opportunities have been limited so far this season, but he recently netted twice in a 4-2 win over Ipswich in the Carabao Cup.
Arsenal must ward off interest in Max Dowman
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that several of Europe's elite clubs will be waiting in the wings to prise Dowman away from Arsenal if they don't pay him big money.
The Scottish businessman made it clear that some clubs would be prepared to "double" that expected £40,000-a-week deal.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness explained how it is essentially unavoidable for Arsenal to put Dowman on a lucrative wage.
"I think there's no choice. We've seen the JJ Gabriel situation we discussed last week. Dowman has proven that he can match the occasion," he said.
"I've talked to people who know his family; they're a very balanced family. He seems to be a good kid, and you've got to be sure that the people around him are using the money wisely and investing it for him.
"I think that's the going rate right now, I'm afraid. He seems happy at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta's handling him the correct way. So I don't think there'd be any reason for them to be unhappy and to move.
"That is the going rate that the club would have to pay to keep him there because there would be no shortage of clubs around Europe right now that would take him in a heartbeat and would probably pay double that if they got a chance."
Arsenal warned against Max Dowman loan move
Former Tottenham scout Bryan King recently told Football Insider that Arsenal would be better served by keeping Dowman in an environment where he is comfortable for now, rather than loaning him out.
The England U19 international is getting occasional Premier League minutes in North London, and is also expected to play a big role for his team in the domestic cup competitions.
King suggested that Arsenal should only look to facilitate a loan move if the perfect fit came up in the local area, rather than taking the risk of sending him to a club far away from home.
Dowman is tipped to have a huge future ahead of him, but Arsenal are being careful to ensure that they get every single step of his development right.