‘I would love it’ – West Ham backed to join Wolves in race to sign Arsenal star | OneFootball

FLW’s West Ham fan pundit has commented on whether he would welcome Max Dowman to the London Stadium on loan in the January transfer window.

Heading into the extended international break, West Ham will be overly optimistic about the start they’ve made on their Championship return.

Against bitter rivals Millwall in their last outing, the Hammers came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at the Den, as strikes from Mohamadou Kante and Konstantinos Mavropanos earned them another precious point that most of the West Ham faithful would have taken after falling a couple of goals behind.

That point keeps the Hammers in the top two, with Nuno Espírito Santo’s men taking 15 points from their opening eight league games and sitting just two points off Swansea City at the summit.

West Ham will be hopeful that they can surge to the summit once the domestic action returns and stay there heading into the new year when the winter transfer window is set to open.

If needed, the Hammers could spent further funds to bolster key areas of the pitch, with support in the wide positions an area to potentially address.

None more so than on the right-hand side, with the Hammers needing to have quality players ready to take the burden off Jarrod Bowen, whose fitness will be continually tested due to the relentless nature of Championship scheduling.

Meanwhile, there has been interest emerging from some second tier sides in young Arsenal star Max Dowman, with Mikel Arteta seemingly prepared to send him out on loan to make a name for himself and prepare him for future Premier League life.

And given West Ham’s need to add to the right flank, it could be a move worth pursuing, with FLW’s West Ham fan pundit commenting over whether he would welcome Dowman to the London Stadium at the beginning of 2027.

Championship trio interested in Arsenal’s Max Dowman

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Max Dowman is certainly one of England’s brightest young prospects, and he could get the chance to catch the eye competitively in the Championship in the winter, with the winger eligible for a loan move away when he turns 17 on the 31st December.

And Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly open to the idea of letting Dowman leave the club for the remainder of the season in order for him to get regular minutes, which will hopefully stand him in good stead to play a more important role for the Gunners from the 2027-28 term onwards.

It has been reported by Football London that more than 12 clubs have contacted Arsenal about the possibility of signing Dowman, while a separate report by TeamTALK has claimed Championship trio Burnley, Cardiff City and Wolves are all keen on making a move for the winger in January.

West Ham backed to enter race for Max Dowman

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Speaking to Football League World, West Ham fan pundit Ryan Horn has admitted he would ‘love’ to see the Hammers enter the race to sign Max Dowman on loan from Arsenal, but does fear that other destinations may be more appealing given he would be battling it out for a starting spot against Jarrod Bowen at the London Stadium.

Ryan told FLW: “I would like to see us put our name in for him, but the only thing that will be an issue is the fact Bowen will start, play most games and have a lot of minutes in the Championship.

“We do have a lot of fixtures and rotation is key, but I feel like they (Arsenal) would want Max Dowman to be starting and playing most weeks, as there’s no doubt he’s got a lot of potential.

“I would love it if we went for him. I would really like him on loan, but I just don’t see it happening over some of the other clubs as he would slot into their first teams and would get brilliant minutes.

“He simply has to get gametime, he doesn’t have to get three points every week, so that would be the only issue. I would like him at West Ham though, and towards the end of the season he’d be good to have.

“I know we’re linked with Solly March on a free transfer as a back-up and as much as I would like Dowman, I think having Solly March wouldn’t be that much of a bad idea.”

West Ham may not be the best place for Max Dowman’s development

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While the majority of Championship club would be happy to have Max Dowman on their books in January, Arsenal will be prioritising sending him to a club that will be able to offer him the gametime that’s needed to take his game to the next level.

And with West Ham, it wouldn’t be too appealing given the competition Jarrod Bowen provides.

Dowman would be up against a Premier League-quality player at Championship level, and with him also being the club captain, it’s hard to see Bowen not starting most, if not all of their remaining second tier games this season, should he remain fit and available.

Whereas at the likes of Burnley or Cardiff, Dowman would likely be a starting asset for those sides, who need an injection of quality from someone like himself to work their way from the bottom end of the Championship standings.

An appealing alternative could be Solly March, who, as a more experienced player who hasn't played much football in recent times, could handle playing the back-up role to Bowen a lot better than Arsenal would allow for Dowman.

In addition, March could be brought in a lot sooner than January due to the former Brighton winger remaining a free agent, giving the Hammers plenty of time to build up his fitness and then hopefully get him back performing to the levels that were seen at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League.

Overall, it’s difficult to see West Ham throwing their hat into the ring for Dowman’s signature, with the London Stadium likely viewed as a place to avoid given the quality Nuno Espírito Santo's men already have in the wide areas.