Max Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history on 14 March 2026, aged 16 years and 73 days, when he came off the bench and ran clear from the halfway line to tap into an empty net against Everton at the Emirates. Seven months later, the queue of clubs trying to borrow him in January has reached twelve.
The paperwork is the problem. Dowman is 16, and he turns 17 on 31 December, the point from which he becomes eligible to be loaned out. January is therefore the first realistic window for any club to prise him from the Emirates, even temporarily.
Sportsmole reports that twelve clubs have made contact with Arsenal, naming seven of them: newly promoted Coventry City, the only Premier League club in the group; Championship trio Burnley, Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers; Luton Town of League One; and Scottish rivals Celtic and Rangers. The other five English clubs are not named.
Separately, Hammers.news reports that West Ham made a tentative enquiry during the summer and were told Arsenal had no plans to let the teenager go. The Hammers have not been told anything different since. Any loan would also require regular minutes in Dowman’s right-sided attacking role, which is already occupied at the London Stadium by captain Jarrod Bowen.
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Arteta: “we have to be open”
Mikel Arteta has neither closed the door nor opened it. Speaking to reporters in September, the Arsenal manager said the club had kept the question off the table in the summer.
“We haven’t really listened to any of the possibilities because we were clear that we want to have him in the squad,” Arteta said.
He described the loan decision as a rolling review rather than something settled.
“We will evaluate every six months where we are, what is the best thing for him to do. We have to be open, but now the focus is to be here and impact the team.”
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Minutes have been scarce
Dowman’s game time this season has been thin. He has made short Premier League appearances and started once in the EFL Cup, scoring twice in the 4-2 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road, but he was left out of the matchday squads for the wins over Aston Villa and Sunderland.
Arsenal have a template already in place: Ethan Nwaneri, Dowman’s predecessor as the Premier League’s youngest player, spent the second half of last season on loan at Marseille and has joined Borussia Dortmund on a season-long loan for 2026/27.
CaughtOffside, citing TEAMtalk, reported earlier the same week that six clubs were in direct contact: Coventry, Burnley, Wolves, Norwich, Celtic and Rangers. Sportsmole’s follow-up two days later pushed the total to twelve.
Dowman’s goal against Everton is still the only one he has scored in the Premier League. His 17th birthday arrives on 31 December, which is also when Arteta’s next six-month review falls due.
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