Hamburg SV lining up Southampton FC transfer raid - £7m man could depart | OneFootball

Damion Downs has endured a dismal start to his Saints career

German Bundesliga side Hamburg SV are reportedly plotting a loan swoop for Southampton forward and summer signing, Damion Downs, ahead of the upcoming winter transfer window.

That is according to German sports outlet, Kicker, with Die Rothosen looking to bolster their attacking options as they look to remain in the top-flight after achieving promotion from Bundesliga.2 under the management of Merlin Polzin at the end of last season.

The North German outfit's recent fortunes have been the exact opposite to those of Saints, who returned to the Championship for the second time in three seasons after accumulating just 12 points in the Premier League last term.

Southampton are also under the guidance of a fourth permanent manager or head coach within the past 12 months, with Tonda Eckert now preparing for a maiden opportunity to conduct transfer business in a full-time managerial role as the German was recently appointed as the South Coast side's latest permanent boss at the start of the month after an impressive interim period following the dismissal of Will Still on November 2nd.

Saints are currently 11th in the Championship table as we head towards Christmas Day, with Eckert's side continuing their mixed run of form and results in recent weeks with a respectable performance and 1-1 draw against league leaders, Coventry City, at St Mary's on Saturday lunchtime.

Eckert's side are currently six places, but only three points outside the play-off places as a result, with supporters already turning their attention towards potential transfer activity in January, with it being well-documented that clubs with recent Premier League pedigree often have significant spending power in comparison to many divisional rivals.

Saints recruited nine players during the aforementioned Still's solitary transfer window, with Downs being one of several hefty investments after joining from FC Koln, who, like Hamburg SV, returned to the Bundesliga for this season.

However, the £7m buy could be set for a swift return to mainland Europe, albeit this could be on a short-term basis for the remainder of the season.

Amid a well-documented rebuild at St Mary's in the summer, Downs was one of several changes made to Saints' squad as they were immediately tipped by many outsiders and pundits to mount a sustained promotion challenge.

The German-born USMNT international forward scored 10 times in 29 league appearances for Koln last term as they regained their Bundesliga status, with plenty of those coming under the management of current Bristol City boss, Gerhard Struber.

As such, there was plenty of hype which surrounded his acquisition as he linked up with the likes of Adam Armstrong - who is currently leading the division's individual scoring charts - Cameron Archer and Ross Stewart, with the trio providing a wealth of Championship experience and pedigree between them.

However, it must be said that the first four months of Downs' spell in English football after signing a four-year contract at St Mary's haven't gone to plan whatsoever.

Indeed, the young striker became the subject of heavy criticism as the campaign headed into the Autumn, with yet another injury to the aforementioned Stewart also adding pressure onto the 6"4 forward's back to step up with a handful of goals.

Under both Still and Eckert, the Werneck native has played just 275 minutes of Championship football across 11 appearances and is still yet to open his account for Saints, as well as featuring in all three of their EFL Cup encounters.

It was reported on November 25th that Downs had sustained an injury against Leicester City in a 3-0 success, and he has not been involved in a matchday squad since.

Despite those circumstances, it has now been claimed by Kicker that Hamburg SV are plotting a loan swoop for the 21-year-old after experienced Danish forward, Yussuf Poulsen, sustained an injury which saw him watch the 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt at the Volksparkstadion from the stands with crutches.

It has been stated that a temporary agreement is the only way in which the American will return to Germany, despite Hamburg's sound financial footing.

Given his struggles in English football so far, a return to German football could be beneficial for Downs and Saints in the short and long-term.

There is clearly a talented player in Downs, especially when looking at his prior record with Koln, meaning that his attributes could be somewhat better suited to the styles of the Bundesliga.

As such, if he was to move and return to form, Saints could be getting a more confident player in return, regardless of whether they are in the Championship or Premier League next term, or it gives them a stronger chance of recouping as much of the £7m sum they parted with in the summer as possible.