Thomas Tuchel says Max Dowman is an “outstanding talent” and has not ruled out a shock World Cup call-up, but believes the Arsenal teenager is currently in the best possible environment to keep developing at club level.
Thomas Tuchel says Max Dowman remains firmly on England’s radar despite leaving the Arsenal teenager out of his latest squad, with the head coach making clear that the decision was shaped more by timing than by doubt over the player’s talent.
Dowman has continued to attract attention after his breakthrough performances for Arsenal, and his recent goal against Everton only added to the noise around his rapid rise. But while Tuchel stopped short of handing him a place in the current group, he used his press conference to underline just how highly he rates the teenager and why he believes staying at Arsenal, for now, is the right place for him.
“He put himself in the spotlight with his amazing goal against Everton and a crucial goal,” Tuchel said. “I think he is obviously a fantastic talent and an outstanding talent with his age. There cannot be a doubt about it.”
That was the clearest endorsement possible from the England manager. Tuchel did not try to cool the excitement around Dowman or pretend the player is still some distance away from the senior picture. Instead, he openly acknowledged the level of his talent and suggested the wider view inside the game matches that.
“Everyone who tells me about Max praises him and is full of compliments about him,” he added.
Why Dowman has not been called up
The more revealing part of Tuchel’s answer came when he explained why praise has not yet turned into a call-up.
“The reality at the moment is also that he competes for minutes. He’s not a regular starter for Arsenal,” Tuchel said.
That line gets to the centre of the decision. Dowman may have put himself into the conversation, but Tuchel is still looking at a teenager who is emerging inside a top-level first-team environment rather than dominating it week after week. In other words, this is not a case of England overlooking him. It is a case of England recognising where he is in his development.
Tuchel was also clear that Arsenal’s setup is helping rather than hindering that process.
“I think he’s in a fantastic environment. I think he’s in the best environment possible, in a competitive club, in a stable club, in a club where teamwork is number one rule,” he said. “This is how they play. This is how they function. He learns from the very best in the very best environment.”
Tuchel’s assessment was not just about Dowman the individual. It was also a strong endorsement of the environment Arteta and the club have built around young players breaking through.
World Cup door still open
What made Tuchel’s comments more interesting still was that he did not close the door on a major surprise later in the year.
“At the moment, I think he’s in a good place to fight for his position, fight for his minutes at Arsenal,” he said. “We always have the chance to call him up maybe for the World Cup.”
Dowman has not been selected now, but Tuchel has left the possibility of a future senior call-up very much alive. It is not a promise, and it is not a prediction, but it is a reminder that England are watching closely.
Tuchel also suggested that part of the job with a player of Dowman’s age is knowing when not to accelerate things.
“The thing with young players is to keep their momentum maybe going and keep their excitement, and they have a level of fearlessness with them, so no need to call him up now and increase the pressure and increase all the noise that comes with it, but we have all options.”
That is probably the most important part of the whole answer. Tuchel is not holding Dowman back because he lacks belief in him. He is trying to protect the conditions that have made the player so exciting in the first place.