Lightning-fast HSV hopeful Damion Downs: strengths and weakness | OneFootball

On Wednesday afternoon, HSV presented their first new signing of this transfer winter, addressing a central problem.

With Damion Downs, the Rothosen strengthen their attacking center – the position that proved to be by far the biggest construction site in the first half of the season. The 21-year-old joins on loan from English second division club FC Southampton until the end of the season. Additionally, according to Bild information, HSV has a purchase option of around ten million euros.

Downs could be more than just a short-term solution. Rather, HSV hopes to develop planning security in the center with their new striker. The bare numbers from the first half of the season are sobering: Robert Glatzel, Ransford Königsdörffer, and Yussuf Poulsen each scored only one goal. Currently, only Königsdörffer is available. Glatzel is still suffering from the effects of a muscle fiber tear, Poulsen is out until February and has shown in recent months that his health condition is only partially predictable.

The expectations for Downs, who was signed to fill this gap, are now even higher. Two reasons were decisive for his decision in favor of HSV: the early interest from Hamburg – it became public shortly after the last competitive match in 2025 – and the persistent courting by sporting director Claus Costa. He convinced the striker with a detailed strengths and weaknesses analysis. An effort that was necessary because the competition was fierce. Numerous clubs from home and abroad were vying for Downs, with HSV initially considered an outsider.

Damian Downs: His Strengths and Weaknesses

But who is the new hope of the Hanseatics? Damion Downs was born on July 6, 2004, in Werneck, Bavaria. He holds both German and American citizenship and spent part of his childhood in the United States. He lived with his family in the state of Texas, spoke English as his first language, and initially played American football. He only pursued soccer more intensively after returning to Germany.

Downs started playing at 1. FC Schweinfurt and FC Ingolstadt before moving to the youth department of 1. FC Köln in the summer of 2020. There, he worked his way up and made his Bundesliga debut on September 23, 2023. During Cologne's relegation season, he gradually moved up to the professional squad and scored two goals in ten appearances. However, the real breakthrough came in the subsequent second division season 2024/25: With eleven goals and six assists in 32 competitive matches, the youngster attracted international attention.

Photo: Getty Images

Downs brings a completely new profile to HSV. The 1.92-meter-tall right-footer is lightning fast, reaching a top speed of over 35 km/h, making him a weapon especially in transition play. At the same time, due to his physique, he is theoretically predestined for aerial duels in the penalty area. However, despite his excellent physical attributes, his heading game is still somewhat underdeveloped. Only one of his ten season goals last season was scored with a header. The remaining goals came from six right-footed shots, with three more from the left.

His clear penalty area orientation is noticeable: Downs scored nine of his ten goals from inside the box, with another from the edge of the penalty area. A total of 110 touches in the opponent's penalty area is an extraordinarily good value that only a few players achieve, even among strikers.

Despite his mobility, Downs is not a classic link-up player, but a striker whose strengths clearly lie in finishing. In combination play, however, deficits are revealed, and he has not yet posed a real threat in dribbling. His success rate last season was only 39.3 percent. However, his eye for teammates is a positive highlight. Six assists show that he knows how to involve teammates, even if he is not a striker type for tight spaces.

Southampton Expert Criticizes Ball Handling

That Downs was unable to gain a foothold in Southampton despite this interesting, albeit underdeveloped skill set raises questions. The adjustment to English football was visibly difficult for him. In his few appearances at the start of the season, he remained almost ineffective, and at the end of November, an injury cost him ten games. His record is ultimately sobering: eleven games, ten as a substitute, only 275 minutes of play, no goals, and a single assist.

The verdict from Martin Sanders, a Southampton expert from the English news page Football League World, is correspondingly clear. "I think it would be best for him to move on loan. He really struggled here. It was a very tough time for him," Sanders said. And further: "The fans are not impressed. He has struggled to show quality in any respect. He hasn't shown anything that could excite." Sanders also identified a clear weakness: "His ball handling is not particularly good. He also sometimes seems too casual."

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The weak phase in England also had consequences for Downs' national team career. Although he has already played six international matches for the USA, his last appearance was four months ago. This was followed by two non-nominations, and he was recently even found in the U21 squad. Downs actually has a clear goal: he desperately wants to participate in the home World Cup next summer. Regular match practice is therefore one of his main motives for moving to Hamburg.

For HSV, the signing is both an opportunity and a risk. They acquire a player who wants and needs to prove himself. They acquire a striker whose profile does not yet exist in the squad and whose physical and athletic qualities could fit well with coach Merlin Polzin's style of play. At the same time, they bring in a striker who has clear gaps in his game and whose last competitive goal dates back to April 20 of the previous year. Whether Damion Downs is really the hoped-for solution in HSV's attacking center remains to be seen.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.