Southampton should be looking to sign Flynn Downes on a permanent basis this summer following their promotion
After just securing their return to the Premier League, Southampton will undoubtedly be ecstatic, but focus will soon shift to assembling a team strong enough to compete in the top division.
All Russell Martin and his staff need to do is look at how the Premier League’s promoted teams performed this season to realize they have a difficult task ahead of them in keeping the Saints competitive.
Due to their promotion to the Premier League, Southampton will have more clout this summer. They will also be more appealing to join as a result of their high-level performance, so it’s obvious that they will need to make a lot of acquisitions in the upcoming months.
But after Flynn Downes’ outstanding season-long loan contract, Russell Martin should make sure he comes to St. Mary’s permanently the following season.
Southampton should be on the phone ASAP to West Ham to sign Flynn Downes
It’s no secret that Russell Martin is a huge fan of Flynn Downes, and he signed the midfielder from Ipswich Town in his first week as Swansea City boss, before bringing him to St Mary’s this season on loan from West Ham.
It was a move that worked out well, with Downes becoming a mainstay in the Saints team when fit, and it may not be a coincidence that their poor run of form came when he was injured and out of the squad.
| Flynn Downes’ 2023/24 Championship season (Regular season only) – Fotmob | |
| Appearances | 33 |
| Minutes played | 2,559 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Pass accuracy | 93.3% |
| Dribble success | 61.5% |
| Touches | 2,519 |
| Tackles won | 65.0% |
| Duels won | 51.6% |
| Interceptions | 47 |
After arriving in August, Downes missed ten league games, of which Southampton won two, drew two, and lost six.
This demonstrates how crucial it is for the team to sign Downes permanently this summer and also how important he was to Martin’s team.
According to TeamTalk, Flynn Downes is being pursued by Southampton; however, new West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui is willing to give him an opportunity and wants to evaluate him before the season begins.
Although this isn’t ideal for the Saints, they must continue to pursue Downes this summer because of how crucial he is to the team’s style of play.
Reuniting with him at St Mary’s might mean the difference between the team escaping relegation and not the following year.
For West Ham United, Flynn Downes is too talented to be a reserve player.
During Flynn Downes’ season at West Ham he made 35 appearances, which sounds like a decent number, but in reality, just seven of those were league starts.
The 25-year-old saw the majority of his football come in cup competitions, and he played a big part in helping the club winning the Europa Conference League, but minutes in the Premier League were at a premium.
This meant that the club were happy to loan Downes out, with the likes of Edson Alvarez and Tomas Soucek on their books, and it’s clear that he’ll have difficulty breaking into the Hammers’ starting XI yet again next season.
The 30-year-old might be moving to England.
Downes is too talented to be benched at West Ham and can start in the Premier League somewhere, as he has demonstrated when playing for Swansea and Southampton, although at the Championship level.
Southampton can only hope that the Spaniard is content to let him go after taking a look at him, as incoming manager Julen Lopetegui is eager to see him.
Southampton would suffer a severe blow if they were to pass on signing Downes this summer, and Russell Martin will be hoping against it.
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