James Ward-Prowse’s imminent exit from Southampton is set to spark a domino effect that could see another midfielder move in the opposite direction.
What are the latest Southampton transfer rumours?
According to David Ornstein, 24-year-old maestro, Flynn Downes, is expected to join the Saints on loan from West Ham United after Ward-Prowse’s much-anticipated £30m move to the 2023 Europa Conference League winners is completed.
Writing on Twitter, The Athletic journalist stated: “James Ward-Prowse set to travel to London this evening & do medical Friday before joining West Ham from Southampton. Flynn Downes expected to go other way on season-long loan – not done but talks heading in that direction.”
A move to St Mary’s would see Downes reunited with former manager Russell Martin and allow him to resurrect his stuttering career.
Would Flynn Downes be a good signing for Southampton?
The Englishman joined Swansea City under Martin in 2021 and in just one season in Wales, he oozed quality and composure.
That season, Downes made 37 appearances, completing 90% of his passes in the opposition half and 68% of his dribbles, averaging 1.3 tackles per game, and winning 55% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.
However, most impressively, the midfielder completed 92.6% of his 2,465 attempted passes in domestic football in that term, meaning he had the highest pass-completion rate in the country’s top four divisions, and was even ahead of Declan Rice with 91.6%.
Martin predicted the £25k-per-week engine to have a huge future, saying: “I’m running out of superlatives for Flynn.
“He came from League One. He was a really important signing for us. We were really supported by the owners with that signing, and I think it’s been justified because he’s one of our biggest assets.
“He has all the ingredients he needs to play at the very top. He knows how I feel about him and how we feel about him as a coaching staff and what his ceiling can be.
“I think he can go and play wherever he wants eventually.”
But, his move to West Ham hasn’t materialised in expected fashion as he only made 15 starts in all competitions and was an unused substitute more times (16) than he was substituted on (14) in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Downes has previously demonstrated that he can be a formidable force in Championship football, and under Martin’s tutelage, he can return to the heights that caught David Moyes’ attention.
Martin could be set to form a devastating midfield duo, with Carlos Alcaraz tipped to play a huge role in the club’s promotion push. Despite only arriving in England in January, the Argentinian recorded six goal involvements in 13 Premier League starts, showcasing the type of attacking threat he can pose from his advanced midfield berth.
More recently, in Southampton’s season opener against Sheffield Wednesday, he produced an accomplished performance, completing 63 passes and all long balls, registering three key passes, and winning five duels in 73 minutes, as per Sofascore. Harry Redknapp feels he has “got a bit of everything in his game” and looks destined for an influential campaign.
Martin has described Downes as “incredible” and echoed similar praise, adding: “He enables other people to do their roles brilliantly.
“He has an excellent willingness to learn, his attitude, his attention to detail and how quickly he learns is outstanding.
“His desire to win and athleticism, with his increasing and improving technical ability, shows how much he wants to work.”
The signing of Downes should then increase Southampton’s chances of an instant return to top-flight football, with the Englishman able to potentially thrive alongside Alcaraz for the south coast side.
