‘Dicey’ Max Dowman ‘issue’ at Arsenal revealed after Mikel Arteta reaches decision on exit

Arsenal have been told by renowned pundit Julien Laurens that Max Dowman is “too good” to be loaned out in the January transfer window amid interest from multiple clubs.

The Gunners starlet made a big impression in the pre-season schedule ahead of the 2025/26 season with Mikel Arteta handed him 12 appearances in all competitions.

Dowman made his first Premier League appearance of the season over the weekend as he played nine minutes in Arsenal‘s 3-0 defeat to Brighton.

His cameo off the bench came after a brilliant display in the Gunners’ 4-2 Carabao Cup win over Ipswich Town with Dowman bagging two goals against the Tractor Boys.

Despite that, Dowman is unlikely to feature much for Arsenal this season with Arteta recently giving his view on situation with the talented youngster.

Arteta said last week: “We haven’t really listened to any of the possibilities because we were clear that we want to have him in the squad, that we wanted him to be part of the pre-season.

“I’m going to start to see where we are from there. We will evaluate every six months where we are, what is the best thing for him to do and from there make the right decisions.

“It will depend on a lot of factors: what he needs, where the team is as well, the availability that we have in the squad, the amount of minutes that he’s playing, the quality he’s delivering when he’s got those minutes.”

Arteta added: “We have to be open, but now the focus is to be here and impact the team.

“There have been many cases of that age that they’ve gone and they’ve been successful, some others not. Particularly, I think I was 17 when I went to Paris [from Barcelona in 2001].

“Depending on the atmosphere that you find there, how much the coach believes in you, you go there just to be part of a squad, not to play minutes. Which country, depends. But now he’s in a great place. He’s in a good place right now, and let’s keep him here.”

DON’T MISS: Arsenal one of FOUR Prem clubs chasing £20m-rated Austrian sensation; January offers expected

Doubts raised over Max Dowman loan exit

TEAMtalk revealed earlier this week that more than a dozen clubs have already made contact in order to register their interest in a potential loan move for Dowman in January.

Dowman will become eligible for a loan move on December 31, when he becomes 17, and Arteta has had a conversation with the Arsenal starlet about his current first-team chances, informing the youngster that regular opportunities are likely to be limited in the short term.

Arteta is understood to be open to the possibility of Dowman spending the second half of the season on loan, providing the right opportunity presents itself.

But Laurens doubts the rationale behind sending Dowman out loan for experience when the Arsenal youngster is “ready already”.

Laurens explained to Sky Sports: “The issue I’ve got with a loan for Max Dowman is that he’s already so good that going to Luton isn’t going to bring him anything. Okay, yeah, he’s going to play in a league that is tough, in League One, but it doesn’t really play football that suits him. Although Jack tries to play the right way, it’s difficult. The Championship would be the same.

HAVE YOU SEEN? Arsenal told Liverpool duo would be ‘perfect’ signings as dream January transfer recommended

“So what loan? Where do you send him? Do you send him abroad, to a club in Germany, maybe? Again, what kind of club? He’s probably too good for any club outside of Dortmund and Bayern. So that’s the dicey issue, because usually you send a kid to maybe get some experience—sure, send him on loan to toughen him up a bit. He still needs to improve and stuff like that. It would be good for him to play against that.

“But that’s not Max Dowman. Max Dowman is ready already. I think he could start for a lot of Premier League clubs. He’s that good.”

He added: “I think he wants to play more. He also trusts the process and trusts Arteta and the club, and I think that’s right. But there will be a point when I think Arteta will know: ‘Okay, now I can play him more.’

“So now you can take Odegaard off in the 70th minute. That would be good for Odegaard – get some rest – and then Max can shine for 20 minutes in any Premier League game.”