Southampton pulled of a useful piece of business back in the summer transfer window, with the signing of Flynn Downes.
The centre midfielder joined the Saints on a season-long loan deal from Premier League side West Ham.
That move to the south coast saw him reunite with manager Russell Martin, who he had previously played under at Swansea City.
Since making that move, Downes has made 26 appearances in all competitions for Southampton.
It has already been reported that the Saints will prioritise a permanent deal for the 25-year-old in the summer transfer window.
So with that in mind, we’ve assessed the factors behind a potential permanent move for Downes right here…
Flynn Downes West Ham contract
Downes first joined West Ham in the summer of 2022. He signed from Swansea City on a five-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months.
That effectively secures his future at the London Stadium until the end of the 2027/28 season. As a result, the Hammers will be in a strong position to respond to any offer that Southampton make for Downes when the window opens again.
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Flynn Downes wages
According to Salary Sport, Flynn Downes is currently earning £32,000 per week at Southampton. That works out at £1.664million per year for the midfielder.
That makes him the joint-eighth highest earner in the Saints’ current first-team squad.
Flynn Downes transfer value
According to Transfermarkt, Downes is currently valued at €7million, or £6.02million.
FootballTransfers meanwhile, value the midfielder at €4million. That works out at £3.44million.
Can Southampton sign Flynn Downes permanently
It may be a challenge for the Saints to comlpete the permanent signing of Downes.
With so long remaining on his contract at West Ham, the Hammers are under absolutely no pressure to sell the midfielder any time soon.
It is also worth noting that Kalvin Phillips has struggled since completing his loan move to the London Stadium back in the January window.
As a result, it is hard to imagine that will become a permanent deal. That in turn, may mean that they want to keep Downes around, to begin with at least, to ensure they have the required depth in the centre of the park.
However, things could change if Southampton do win promotion this season. The Saints are currently 4th in the Championship table, and look set to at least secure a play-off spot.
If that does see them secure a return to the top-light, they would be in a much stronger position to sign Downes this summer from a financial and football perspective.
Given he has struggled for game time at West Ham previously, the player himself may also be keen on a return to St Mary’s.
He knows he will get regular game time at Southampton, where he would also be playing under a manager he is familiar with in the form of Martin.