Southampton completed a useful bit of business during the summer transfer window by signing Flynn Downes.
The centre midfielder joined the Saints on a season-long loan from Premier League club West Ham.
When he moved to the south coast, he reunited with Swansea City manager Russell Martin, under whom he had previously played.
Downes has made 26 appearances for Southampton in all competitions since his transfer.
It has already been claimed that the Saints will prioritise a permanent deal for the 25-year-old during the summer transfer window.
To consider a permanent relocation for Downes, we’ve analyzed the following factors:
Flynn Downes West Ham contract
Downes originally joined West Ham in the summer of 2022. He joined from Swansea City on a five-year contract with an option for a further year.
This practically assures his future at the London Stadium till the end of the 2027/28 season. As a result, the Hammers will be well-positioned to respond to any offer Southampton makes for Downes when the transfer window reopens.
Flynn Downes wages
According to Salary Sport, Flynn Downes presently earns £32,000 per week at Southampton. This goes out to £1.664 million a year for the midfielder.
That makes him the Saints’ joint-eighth highest earner in the current first-team lineup.
Flynn Downes transfer value
According to Transfermarkt, Downes is presently worth €7 million, or £6.02 million.
Meanwhile, FootballTransfers values the midfielder at €4 million. That calculates out to £3.44 million.
Can Southampton sign Flynn Downes permanently
The Saints may struggle to compete with Downes’ permanent signing.
With so much time remaining on his contract at West Ham, the Hammers are under no hurry to trade the midfielder anytime soon.
It’s also worth remembering that Kalvin Phillips has struggled since moving on loan to the London Stadium in January.
As a result, it’s difficult to imagine this becoming a permanent agreement. That, in turn, may imply that they want to retain Downes around, at least initially, to guarantee they have the requisite depth in the center of the park.
However, things could change if Southampton wins promotion this season. The Saints are currently fourth in the Championship standings and appear to be on track to qualify for the playoffs.
If they do return to the top flight, they will be in a far stronger position to sign Downes this summer, both financially and football-wise.
Given his prior struggles for game time at West Ham, the player may also be interested in returning to St Mary’s.
He knows he’ll get consistent game time at Southampton, where he’ll also play under a manager he knows, Martin.
