The same report raises the question of whether Max Dowman is ready to fill the gap.

Downbeat update on Saka

Arsenal beat Everton 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and their next fixture is Tuesday's Carabao Cup trip to Fleetwood Town.

Arteta's defence of Dowman

Speaking before the Everton match, Arteta was asked how much harder it is for a 16-year-old to break through in England than in France or Spain.

"Well, tell me how many 16-year-olds have played in the last hundred years at this level," Arteta said, in comments carried by Daily Cannon. There isn't a single player. That's why he's unique."

So that's the level."

The numbers behind the rise

Daily Cannon notes that Rooney made 10 senior appearances and Aaron Lennon 13 before turning 17, while Dowman reached 17 Arsenal games on Saturday at the age of 16 years and 297 days — the same age at which Rooney made his Everton debut. Dowman has four Champions League appearances to his name and eight in the Premier League, two short of Rooney's nine before 17 and three short of Lennon's ten, with more than two months until his birthday.

Photo: Bryan Berlin via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, resized.