Winger has been tipped for a loan move in January
Rangers will be ‘having a look at’ a potential loan deal for Arsenal sensation Max Dowman - but English Premier League interest may have a negative effect on their chances.
The 16-year old grabbed the headlines last season when he became the second youngest ever player to grace the Premier League. With bags of potential, the English champions are considering send him out on loan to aid his development. Rangers have been suggested as a possible short-term destination, along with rivals Celtic.
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A loan move looks increasingly likely for the Englishman, who has England international superstars Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke ahead of him in the selection pecking order at the Emirates. But according to prominent transfer journalist Pete O’Rourke, the Ibrox side won’t be the only ones sniffing around.
Dowman became the youngest player to win the Premier League last season.placeholder image
Dowman became the youngest player to win the Premier League last season. | Getty Images
What key factor could prevent Rangers from signing Dowman on loan?
He told Football Insider: "If there's an opportunity to sign someone like Max Dowman, I'm sure Rangers will be having a look at it. He’s a top top young talent, Max Dowman, and as I said if he becomes available in January it won't just be Celtic and Rangers who will be interested.
"Most of the clubs in England, including in the Premier League, are going to be interested in taking the teenager on loan for the rest of the season. That could make the deal difficult for Rangers to pull off, because we know they can struggle to compete when it comes to clubs in English football."
While the gulf in quality might gives teams south of the border the edge, one advantage the Light Blues do have over competitors is that Gunners boss Mikel Arteta knows better than anyone else that the Scottish league can develop a career. The Spaniard spent two seasons in Govan - during the first of which he helped them win the domestic treble.
Arteta is considering sending Dowman out on loan.placeholder image
Arteta is considering sending Dowman out on loan. | Getty Images
What have Arsenal said about Max Dowman leaving on loan?
On the possibility of a loan for Dowman, the Arsenal boss said: "We will evaluate every six months where we are and what is the best thing for him to do and then make the right decision. It depends on a lot of factors. What he needs, and what the team needs as well, the availability we have in the squad, the minutes that he is playing and the qualities of those minutes.
"We have to be open, but now the focus is to be here and to impact the team. We haven't really listened to any of the possibilities because we were crystal clear that we wanted to have Max in the squad, that we wanted him to be part of the pre-season and then start to see where we are from there . There have been many cases of that age when they have gone out and been successful and others not.”