Southampton boss Russell Martin has been boosted in his attempts to sign Flynn Downes on a permanent basis.
Saints are making preparations for their return to the Premier League after Adam Armstrong’s first half strike allowed the south coast outfit to overcome Leeds United in the Championship play-off final last month, which means they are in line to secure a minimum of £140million in revenue across the next three seasons.
Martin has been holding behind-the-scenes discussions with director of football Rasmus Ankersen over recruitment targets and, having sealed Adam Lallana’s arrival by tying him down to a one-year contract, Southampton have turned their attentions towards acquiring Downes on a long-term deal.
Downes is poised to agitate for a move to Southampton ahead of pre-season, according to GMS sources, as he has been given early indications that it will be difficult to nail down a regular starting berth in West Ham’s midfield despite enjoying a productive loan spell away from the London Stadium.
The 25-year-old made 37 appearances during his temporary stint with Saints, chalking up five goal contributions along the way, and there has been uncertainty over whether he features in new Hammers head coach Julen Lopetegui’s plans after he replaced David Moyes in the hot-seat.
GMS sources have been informed that Downes is determined to be more than just a squad player during the fast-approaching 2023/24 campaign and, having enjoyed his time at Southampton, he is eager to return to the south coast if he is not given assurances over the amount of game time he can expect in the coming months.
| Flynn Downes’ statistical averages per 90 minutes during the 2023/24 campaign compared to the 2022/23 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 2022/23 | |
| Pass completion percentage | 93.0 | 87.3 |
| Percentage of dribblers tackled | 57.9 | 50.0 |
| Tackles | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Interceptions | 1.66 | 0.82 |
| Clearances | 0.78 | 0.71 |
| Statistics correct as of 25/06/2024 | ||
The defensive-minded midfielder, who joined West Ham in a deal worth up to £12million from Swansea City two years ago, has made his intentions clear after he was initially on course to be included in his current employers’ pre-season plans, which includes two fixtures against Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the United States.
Kyle Walker-Peters has already reiterated that he wants to reunite with Downes ahead of Southampton’s Premier League campaign getting underway with a trip to Newcastle United, with the full-back describing the ex-Ipswich Town man as ‘excellent’ during his spell at St Mary’s.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Flynn Downes’ pass completion ratio fell below 85 per cent just once over the course of the entire 2023/24 Championship campaign
Downes Seeking Speedy Decision Over Future
Saints target prefers to avoid switch late in window
GMS sources have learned that Downes wants a final decision to be made over his future in the next couple of weeks as he is desperate to spend the entirety of pre-season with the club he is set to feature for during the 2023/24 campaign instead of upsetting his rhythm and getting involved in a transfer later in the summer window.
The Europa Conference League winner, who also made 39 appearances under Martin when they previously worked together at Swansea, is keen to head into the campaign with a side that is committed to him instead of mulling over the possibility of cashing in, improving Southampton’s chances of striking a deal.
GMS sources recently revealed that Saints are the frontrunners to land Downes and discussions over a permanent switch have been held since the play-off final, while the newly-promoted side are keen to see their target head back to familiar surroundings for less than £15million.
