Werder Bremen join Hamburg in Southampton FC transfer race | OneFootball

Werder Bremen have joined the transfer race for Southampton striker Damion Downs ahead of a likely exit from Tonda Eckert's side, according to reports

A fresh update has been revealed on Damion Downs' situation at Southampton ahead of continued talk pertaining to a swift potential exit from the Championship promotion hopefuls, with Werder Bremen joining Bundesliga rivals Hamburg in the race for the frontman's services this month.

As reported on Saturday morning via X by Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports, Werder Bremen are now exploring a deal to bring Downs back to Germany following his disastrous spell in the second-tier with Southampton.

Downs has emerged as something of a hot property in spite of his struggles on the south coast, with Hamburg having also been linked with his signature in recent times.

The 21-year-old joined Southampton as a marquee arrival over the summer in a reported £7 million deal after firing Koln to Bundesliga promotion with 10 goals from 29 Bundesliga.2 matches.

However, Downs has struggled to step up to the Championship and opportunities have proved few and far between for the six-cap USMNT international, who is now poised to find himself on the move once more in January.

Werder Bremen join Hamburg in Southampton, Damion Downs transfer race

As per Plettenberg's aforementioned update, Werder Bremen have joined the race for Downs alongside Hamburg, who remain interested despite the fresh emergence of interest from elsewhere.

It's said that Bremen and Hamburg are not the only two Bundesliga sides eagerly exploring a move for Downs amid his inability to force his way into the thinking of Tonda Eckert following Will Still's sacking, although his remaining suitors are unnamed at this moment in time.

The update adds that a transfer is "possible" for Downs, who is collecting what is described as a "top-level contract" at Southampton after completing his big-money move last July.

Downs reportedly intends on keeping his dreams of making Mauricio Pochettino's World Cup squad alive ahead of this summer's tournament in North America, which may be best possible by sealing a move to a side where regular playing opportunities will be more forthcoming.

The striker is yet to find the back of the net from 14 appearances across all competitions for Southampton, 11 of which have come in the Championship.

His only league start, however, was all the way back in September, with Downs slipping some way down the Saints pecking order ahead of a likely exit at some stage in the coming weeks.

Southampton must seal Damion Downs transfer exit this month

Shifting Downs out of the squad represents something of a priority for Eckert, who has not favoured the forward in his thinking after taking the reins from the man who brought him to Hampshire in Still.

Downs, when he has featured, has fallen drastically short of leading the line with aplomb or offering any sign of a potential return on the club's expenditure, with supporters acting quickly to slam the striker early on into the campaign.

It remains somewhat unclear whether Downs will depart Southampton on a temporary or permanent basis, but a departure of some form feels likely and would be the best course of action for all parties.