“Same sort of build, balance” - Perry Groves names Arsenal player who is similar to Lionel Messi

Former Arsenal winger Perry Groves has named Max Dowman from the current team who bears resemblance with Lionel Messi. Dowman, 15, is currently with the Gunners' pre-season tour of Asia.

Messi, 38, is one of the best in the game's history, having scored over 870 goals for club and country. Currently plying his trade with Inter Miami in MLS, the diminutive Argentine, known for his silken skills on the ball, goalscoring and goal-creating ability, is still going strong,

Coming back to Dowman, the teenager trained with the first team at the age of 14 and was a part of their winter training camp in Dubai in January. Groves said about the Gunners academy product's similarity with Messi (as per talkSPORT via Arsenal Insider):

“He is a scary talent, and I said before, as Arteta said, he’ll be well nurtured at Arsenal because they’ve got a good reputation of bringing younger players through from Bukayo Saka into Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly. So, they’re nurtured very well.

“Well, style-wise, very similar to Lionel Messi, only because he’s left-footed, same sort of build, balance. … I’m not saying he’s going to be as good, because Messi is obviously one of the greatest players."

He added that the sky is the limit for Dowman:

“The only thing that I would say with Max Dowman is that he’s got a good background. The only reason he won’t make the level that he should do with his talent is if he’s unlucky with an injury or injuries, or his attitude isn’t right. And all the reports that I’m hearing about him, he’s a very well-balanced, level-headed young man off the pitch.

“So, as long as he stays like that and he sees Bukayo Saka, who is a brilliant example, he sees Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri, where you just calm down and you make sure you’re humble off it, then he’s got the, honestly, the world’s his oyster.”

Having come up through the ranks at the club, Dowman is expected to make his first-team debut this season.

How has Lionel Messi fared this season?

One of the best ever to grace a football field, Lionel Messi is in the midst of an impressive season with Inter Miami, whom he joined on a free transfer after nearly two decades in European football.

In 30 games across competitions, the record eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has bagged 24 goals and 10 assists. Eighteen of those strikes and seven assists have come in 18 outings in MLS, where Javier Mascherano's side trail leaders Philadelphia by eight points but have three games in hand.

Messi, though, drew blanks against his former side Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 as the Herons were knocked out with a 4-0 defeat in their maiden appearance in the competition.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Bhargav