Southampton are reportedly eager to bid for Flynn Downes following his impressive loan spell at the club, but they might face challenges.
New West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui wants to thoroughly assess Downes before making any decisions about his future.
Lopetegui is focused on addressing West Ham’s midfield issues and might prefer to avoid entering the transfer market or bringing in another high-earning loan player.
Last season, with Tomas Soucek, Edson Alvarez, and Kalvin Phillips available, former manager David Moyes considered Downes surplus to requirements. However, Downes’ loan stint at Southampton boosted his reputation.
Now, Downes is attracting serious interest from both Southampton and West Ham for the upcoming Premier League season.
As a homegrown player, Lopetegui is reportedly keen to give Downes a fair opportunity to secure a regular starting position.
Bad news for Southampton
The downside for Southampton is that West Ham might decide that selling Downes at this stage isn’t sensible from either a football or financial perspective.
Downes could at least serve as valuable backup to Alvarez if he remains at West Ham. Selling him would force Lopetegui to enter the transfer market to fill the gap.
Despite making 37 appearances for Southampton last term, starting 35 of them and enhancing his reputation, Downes is unlikely to command a transfer fee exceeding £20 million.
Having signed from Swansea in 2022 for a reported £12 million, West Ham would only see a modest profit from his sale and might need to overspend to find a superior replacement.
“West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui is set to give Flynn Downes the chance to impress in pre-season,” sources told transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke.
“It is believed the new Irons boss is open to letting the 25-year-old stamp his mark on his plans for the 2024-25 campaign.”
With his contract running until 2027, Downes has time to revive his West Ham career.
The club also has the opportunity to develop him into a regular Premier League starter, potentially increasing his transfer value.
