Arsenal face January call as 12 clubs chase teenage star

Credit: Getty Images

More than a dozen clubs have already contacted Arsenal about taking Max Dowman on loan in January, with the 16-year-old set to become eligible for a temporary move the moment he turns 17.

Dowman's birthday falls on December 31, which means he can legally complete a loan switch from the very first day of the winter window. That timing has triggered a scramble across multiple divisions and multiple countries.

According to TEAMtalk, more than 12 clubs have registered an interest, with suitors ranging from the Premier League all the way down to League One.

Who wants him

Coventry City are among those to have made an enquiry, while Burnley, Wolves and Norwich City are all said to be interested in taking the teenager for the second half of the 2026/27 campaign.

There is a familiar name in the mix too. Jack Wilshere's Luton Town are keen, with the former Arsenal midfielder having confirmed he would like to bring Dowman in on loan.

North of the border, both Rangers and Celtic are understood to be pushing, and there is interest from abroad as well. The common thread is game time — something that may be in short supply at the Emirates given the depth Mikel Arteta currently has at his disposal.

A record-breaking start

Dowman is already woven into Arsenal's history books. He became the club's youngest-ever starter at 15 years and 302 days, then broke the record for the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he netted in a 2-0 win over Everton in March at 16 years and 73 days.

The England Under-19 international now has 15 senior appearances to his name and scored twice in the 4-2 Carabao Cup victory over Ipswich Town last Tuesday.

Asked afterwards whether Dowman could feature more in the Premier League this season, Arteta was measured. "Everything is possible," he said. "The probability probably is extremely low, because you don't see the players with the capacity to handle just the physicality of the game.

"Not only that, but the demands that you have to put your bodies through in the week to be able to be in a good condition to compete, the amount of information, the challenges that you have to face. But he's doing it, and he's doing it really well every time he's got a chance."

The Arsenal boss was clear that protection comes first. "What we have to do is look after him — he's 16-years-old, you don't see that in this league. In other leagues in Europe, that's a totally different context," he said.

"We're going to make sure that when we just throw him there, he's ready to handle that at every level, and it's not just that he can run past somebody. There's a lot more things that we need to look after him."

With the window opening on January 1 and the queue already forming, Arsenal have just over three months to decide whether Dowman's next step is at the Emirates or elsewhere.