Max Dowman

Arsenal are considering a possible loan move for teenage midfielder Max Dowman as Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff continue to assess the youngster’s progress.

Dowman, 16, has already made a strong impression at senior level, having become the youngest player to score in Premier League history last season. His development received another boost in midweek when he scored twice in Arsenal’s EFL Cup victory over Ipswich Town.

Despite his rapid emergence, Arteta has been careful about how frequently Dowman is used. The teenager has yet to make a Premier League appearance in the 2026/27 campaign, with Arsenal taking a measured approach to his introduction into regular first-team football.

A loan spell could eventually form part of that development plan, with Arsenal potentially considering an English top-flight or Championship club, while a move to another European league has also not been ruled out.

Arteta said Arsenal have not actively considered loan offers so far because their initial intention was to keep Dowman with the first-team group and include him in pre-season.

“We haven't really listened to any of the loan possibilities because we were clear we want to have him in the squad, we wanted him to be part of the preseason.”

The Arsenal manager added that the club intends to reassess the situation periodically rather than make an immediate decision on the teenager’s next step.

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

According to Arteta, several factors will determine whether a loan becomes appropriate, including Dowman’s playing time, his performances and the options available within Arsenal’s squad.

“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 he's playing, the quality he's delivering when he's got those minutes.”

Arteta also pointed to his own experience as an example of how a young player's development can be shaped by the environment of a loan club. He recalled leaving for Paris Saint-Germain at 17 and stressed that the destination must provide genuine opportunities to play.

“There have been many cases of that age that they've gone on loan and they've been successful, some others not. Particularly, I think I was 17 when I went to PSG.”

The Spaniard warned that simply joining another club does not guarantee the regular football a young player needs.

“Depending on the atmosphere there, how much the coach believes in you, you go there just to be part of a squad, not to play.”

For now, Arteta appears satisfied with Dowman’s current surroundings at Arsenal, leaving the door open to different possibilities as the season develops.

“Which country? Depends. But now he's in a great place.”

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