Arsenal star given answer to Rangers and Celtic dilemma as 'only one winner' in Old Firm loan race
Gunners wonder-kid is on the radar of both sides of Glasgow
Arsenal winger Max Dowman should favour a Rangers loan move over Celtic in the summer if the opportunity arises, according to former Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness.
The 16-year old became the youngest player ever to win the English Premier League and in turn, has attracted transfer interest from all over Europe. Rangers and Celtic are reportedly both interested in a January loan swoop. Dowman currently is behind Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke in the selection pecking order on the right flank at the Emirates.
Because of this, manager Mikel Arteta is considering farming him out during the winter to aid his development. The Spaniard knows better than anyone that a move to Scotland can help a career, having spent two years at Ibrox as a player.
Why would Rangers be a better loan destination for Dowman than Celtic?
The Light Blues took on Tottenham winger Mikey Moore on loan last season, when he made 47 appearances over the course of the campaign. Wyness, who remains well-connected in the game, thinks Dowman would be offered similar positive minutes if he went to Ibrox - but isn’t sure if the same could be said for Celtic. He told Football Insider: "I think for Dowman, it would be coming into a club that has got stability, which is what Arsenal will want for him, to be sure he's going to get minutes, which Rangers proved they can do with Mikey Moore.
"He would be part of a whole stable organisation that's moving forward, which Rangers, as I just said, seem to be showing signs of. Celtic at the moment would be the complete opposite of that. To me, there's only one winner in this case if it is in fact a Scottish loan. Although I think maybe the Championship might be better for him if he were to go anywhere.
"But if it was to be Scotland, then Rangers would be the best option. I think it would be excellent for all parties. But for Dowman, I think that at his age, it's a long way to go to Glasgow, and you're in a big inferno in Glasgow. I know Moore managed it, but I think some of his family were up there as well at the same time. So it's a difficult one, but a lot of factors to consider. But on the football side, I think Rangers are the clear winners."
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.”