QPR backed to rival Celtic & Rangers for 'outrageous' Arsenal transfer | OneFootball

FLW's resident QPR fan pundit has urged the West Londoners to join the race to sign Arsenal sensation Max Dowman on loan in January

QPR have enjoyed an uplifting opening to the 2026/27 Championship campaign, but with the January transfer window likely to decide where exactly they end up, the Hoops have been urged to join an ambitious and ever-widening race for Arsenal wonderkid Max Dowman.

Julien Stephan's side have been among the initial promotion pace-setters off the back of an eye-catching summer of activity, leaving QPR sitting in sixth after eight matches with three victories, four draws and just one defeat - which came narrowly to third-placed Middlesbrough at the start of the month.

Further tests lie ahead but there is little to indicate that QPR are incapable of continuing their strong form and remaining in the battle for a play-off spot as the season draws on, and that's where the winter window could prove crucial.

The R's may just find themselves in need of a fresh injection of star quality to propel their bid for a top-eight finish in the new year, and they could find precisely that by beating the likes of Celtic, Rangers and a host of Championship rivals to Dowman's signature.

QPR urged to join Celtic and Rangers in Arsenal, Max Dowman transfer race

Dowman's immediate future at Arsenal hangs in the balance right now, with the 16-year-old sensation potentially poised to earn his stripes away from North London on loan after already breaking into Mikel Arteta's first-team set-up with great aplomb.

Action Images

An unrelenting record-breaking talent, Dowman became the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he blitzed Everton with an electrifying solo effort back in March before finishing the campaign with 13 appearances across all competitions.

But, despite scoring twice in the reigning top-flight champions' recent 4-2 EFL Cup third-round advance over Ipswich Town, the prodigious winger may be on the move once January rolls around.

According to a report published by TEAMtalk last week, a dozen clubs are all eyeing Dowman's signature in the event that Arteta sanctions a mid-season loan exit, with Burnley, Norwich City and Wolves among the range of Championship sides to have registered an interest alongside Jack Wilshere's Luton Town, Coventry City and Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers.

Amid the ongoing speculation surrounding Dowman's future, Football League World asked our resident QPR fan pundit - Louis Moir - whether he thinks that the Hoops should join the battle and make an ambitious play to bring the talented teenage forward across London on loan in the new year.

Indeed, it's Louis' view that his side would "have to be all over" any opportunity to land Dowman for the remainder of the campaign, believing that the Arsenal starlet is capable of having an "outrageous" influence on proceedings in the Championship.

"If Max Dowman was available on loan, I think we'd have to be all over that," Louis explained to FLW.

"I don't see why we wouldn't want to take a player of his talent on board for half a season at least. He's shown a few times for Arsenal when given the opportunity, he's flourishing and a loan to the Championship would certainly be interesting with his age.

"He's clearly got a ridiculous amount of talent, and if there are clubs in the Championship interested, why can't we be? In January, we may be looking for a couple more players depending on where we're at with injuries, so with a player like Dowman in that sort of position, we could be looking for someone to give us a final push for the second-half of the season.

QPR backed to have transfer chance for Arsenal, Max Dowman deal

Crucially, Louis doesn't just want to see QPR lodge an interest in Dowman - you'd be hard-pressed to find any sides outside of the Premier League to turn their noses up at such an opportunity, of course - but he has argued that his side would have a decent chance of completing a deal.

Action Images

Naturally, that will only depend on whether Arsenal give the green-light to his temporary exit and Louis has argued that any move would also be conditional on QPR's league position in a few months' time.

However, it's Louis' view that QPR's proven track record of developing young talent - now-Arsenal star Eberechi Eze among them - would leave the play-off hopefuls in a strong position if they join the race and the Gunners end up running the rule over interested parties.

"I think Arsenal would be more than happy to send a player like that on loan to us," he continued.

"Look at Pierce Charles coming from Man City, Arsenal went on to sign Eze so they know that QPR can develop these players really well.

"I just think that if we were interested, we'd be quite high up on the list of clubs to get him. Albeit, it would come down to whether we were in the play-off mix and still pushing.

"He would be quite an outrageous loan signing and, if he did in the Championship what he's shown he can do so far for Arsenal, he could potentially be very, very good at this level.

"It will be interesting to see what happens with him because a loan could really be that next step of his development and he's so young, he's got time but it could kick-start his career sooner than some people have thought considering his age.

"But yeah, all day long we should try and get him on loan if that was ever a possibility,"

Arsenal's Max Dowman would be a Championship phenomenon amid QPR transfer plea

Dowman's quality and seamless adaptation to elite-bracket senior football belies his youthful years and relative lack of experience, and despite still being aged just 16, the thought of the winger selling his flicks and tricks to Championship full-backs at breakneck speed is a frightening one indeed.

Action Images

The England youth star's creativity and end product are also incredibly refined in light of his age, and there is every chance that he would simply be a class or two above second-tier football.

That's why Championship clubs may struggle to convince both Arsenal and the player in question, yet with the Gunners reportedly undecided on where he will spend the second-half of this term, it's no surprise that they're asking questions and QPR could live to regret failing to follow suit.

Stephan isn't short of options in wide areas and can already call upon tricky operators at this level such as Kwame Poku, Koki Saito, Paul Smyth and Harvey Vale, although it goes without saying that Dowman is in another bracket and would be sure to light up Loftus Road if such a deal could ever get off the ground.

The prospect of Dowman dropping to the Championship does feel far-fetched in many regards, but if that possibility arises, then QPR may just have one of the more appealing sale pitches and would land themselves no shortage of X-Factor inspiration for their promotion push by landing a shock move for the future Gunners superstar.