Southampton “intend to prioritise” converting Flynn Downes’ loan into a permanent signing during the summer transfer window, according to The Athletic.
Roshane Thomas provided an update on each of the West Ham players on loan in a piece for the online publication on Saturday (March 23).
Downes has impressed this season for Championship club Southampton, whose ultimate beneficial owner is billionaire Dragan Solak.
“The agreement does not include an option to buy, which West Ham were reluctant to approve,” Thomas said in the piece.
“But Southampton intend to prioritise turning his loan into a permanent transfer at the end of the season, regardless of whether they go straight back up.”
Flynn Downes impressing for Southampton in Championship
Downes was not getting the playing time he desired at London Stadium, which was exacerbated by the additions of midfielders James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, and, to a lesser extent, Mohammed Kudus.
On the surface, loaning the 25-year-old made sense, and it has shown to be the case as he has had a successful season in the second division.
Indeed, Southampton’s club-record winning streak of 25 games halted when Downes was sidelined with a hip injury, emphasizing his importance.
West Ham must quickly decide whether to keep Downes on the books or pay in this summer. With three years remaining on his London Stadium contract, the ball is very much in the Irons’ court.
Southampton are clearly anxious to sign him permanently, and if a good price is paid, it makes perfect sense to unload in the summer.
United would most likely seek a profit on the £12 million they paid to sign him a couple of years ago. And if Southampton is promoted, there is no reason why they cannot pay that much.
In other West Ham news, Anton Ferdinand is confident in the Irons’ chances against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League.
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