Arsenal teenage star Max Dowman has impressed in brief first-team appearances for Mikel Arteta's side, but the 15-year-old is unlikely to play much ahead of Bukayo Saka for the Gunners
12:03, 01 Nov 2025Updated 12:03, 01 Nov 2025
Max Dowman shined in Arsenal's Carabao Cup fourth round triumph over Brighton
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Max Dowman shined in Arsenal's Carabao Cup fourth round triumph over Brighton(Image: (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images))
Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards believes Max Dowman may need to consider a move away from Arsenal to get more game time.
The 15-year-old was given his first senior start for the Gunners against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night and caught the eye during his 71 minutes on the field. Dowman, still two months and two days away from turning 16, captured the headlines and received a standing ovation as he left the field.
His previous appearances for the senior team came in the 2-0 third-round victory at Port Vale on September 24, following Premier League cameos the last month in a 5-0 triumph over Leeds United and a 1-0 loss at Liverpool.
And Richards has shared his belief that the teenager may need to consider a loan move away from the Emirates Stadium to secure more playing time, with Bukayo Saka the first-choice option in Dowman's position.
"He’s special, isn’t he? He’s special," the pundit said on The Rest is Football. "I think the difference that I see with him is that normally, you get thrown in at 15-16 because you are physically developed. And he’s not, he’s technically developed, which would say that he’s going to be something special.
"He’s just got a window from 16 to 18 to keep developing at the same rate. And Mikel Arteta comes with these quotes, but he has to be playing also, because you can’t get 30 minutes here and then 90 minutes [there], because other people are developing at a quicker rate than you would be.
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"Maybe he needs to go out on loan. I know that’s maybe too early, I don’t think he can go out on loan yet at 15. He’s not going to get the game time."
Fellow pundit Gary Lineker rebutted, claiming Dowman would get plenty of minutes but Richards is not convinced. The two-time Premier League winner replied: "But he plays in a position that Saka plays, so he’s not.
"He can play No.10 and he can play the other side. But the manager, the way he is, I would say, he errs on the side of being a little bit more defensive with Saka and then allowing the players to come on.
"He’s not going to play ahead of Saka. But to keep developing, he needs to play. That would be my only worry."
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