"It would be best" - New Southampton reaction to Damion Downs exit claim | OneFootball

FLW's Southampton fan pundit discusses the possibility of Damion Downs joining Hamburger SV from Southampton.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Damion Downs has interest from Bundesliga giants Hamburger SV, with the Southampton striker seldom featuring after a difficult start to life in English football following the summer switch from 1. FC Koln.

Hamburg recently gained promotion to the Bundesliga after seven seasons in Germany's second tier, with Koln promoted alongside them automatically. During that campaign, the 21-year-old notched 11 goals and six assists in 32 games in all competitions.

However, the big-money move to St. Mary's has not gone to plan, with Downs bagging a solitary assist in 14 games so far. In fact, he has failed to make the matchday squad for the last five games and a move back to Germany could help him rediscover his form.

Tonda Eckert is utilising the likes of Adam Armstrong, Finn Azaz, Leo Scienza, Tom Fellows, Cameron Archer, and Ryan Fraser in his attack so far. Downs doesn't appear to be in his Southampton plans at present.

According to German outlet Kicker, a loan move could be struck next month to take Downs back to mainland Europe. He is still young but out of favour, which is why a temporary switch to Hamburg from Southampton could be the ideal short-term solution.

The Southampton verdict on Damion Downs as Hamburg eye loan deal

Downs was a £7 million Southampton signing, and we asked FLW’s Southampton fan pundit Martin Sanders for his verdict on whether they should sanction the move if they are going to be paying the American's wages whilst in Germany.

He said: "Yeah, I think it would be best for him to go out on loan. He's really, really struggled down here. He's had a really tough time.

"The fans are not impressed. He has struggled to show any quality in terms of anything. I don't know, to show anything at all, really. He hasn't shown anything to get you excited.

"His touch isn't great. His effort levels, at times, look too casual. He's a player we need to let leave to free up a space in the squad for.

"We need to bring somebody in who will actually make an impact. He's probably one for the future. We talk about it, and we've had some good summer signings.

"But unfortunately — bless him — Damion has been the worst."

How likely Damion Downs is to get minutes for Hamburg instead of Southampton

Of course, Southampton have a stacked forward line right now. However, Hamburg are playing at a higher level than the Championship, which begs the question over whether he would even feature that frequently for them?

The German giants often deploy a 3-4-3, meaning that there is only one striker. They have signed the experienced Yussuf Poulsen already this season, who joined former Cardiff City striker Robert Glatzel among their attacking options.

The likes of Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer and Rayan Philippe can be utilised wide, but there is a chance Downs rarely features given the depth for one position in attack between so many.

They may need to make room for Downs yet, and the most crucial aspect from a Southampton perspective has to be game time and much-needed development through more regular minutes for the remainder of 2025/26.