West Ham must prepare for Flynn Downes exit as Southampton news emerges
Wed 17 July 2024 15:40, UK
Flynn Downes has admitted that his choice to join Southampton rather than stay at West Ham United was because of his playing time.
The former Ipswich man spent last season on loan with the Saints and evidently found his place within Russell Martin’s squad.
He made a lasting impact on the side and admitted that he had already spoken to West Ham about the move before the playoff final victory over Leeds.
“It’s been carnage the last few days, I’ll be honest, a lot of ups and downs,” the midfielder said to the Daily Echo.
“It’s so good to be back with the staff, the players, the whole club. I knew probably on Monday for definite, there’s been a lot of speculation that I try to stay out of.
“I am here now, so I’m happy. Obviously, we had a few chats with West Ham before going into the playoff game.
“For me, it’s just about playing football, week in and week out. I feel like at West Ham I wasn’t going to get it, you’ve got a lot of players and a big squad. So I just felt like this was the right for me.”
West Ham United to go after Kyle Walker-Peters after Flynn Downes transfer
As Downes said himself, it would’ve been hard for the midfielder to get regular game time if he were to stay with the Hammers next season.
It’s unlikely that when both Tomas Soucek and Edson Alvarez are fit Downes would have got a look in for the starting XI.
The duo were among the Hammers’ best players last season with Alvarez even generating some interest from Manchester United [Florian Plettenberg, 22 June] at the start of the window.
Although the midfielder would have been a solid squad player, for the reported fee of £18million [Dharmesh Sheth, 15 July] that Julen Lopetegui has received, it can be put to better use elsewhere.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui One of the most likely areas that Lopetegui will improve is that of right-back and fellow Southampton man Kyle Walker-Peters is at the top of West Ham’s list [Sky Sports, 15 July].
Although a deal wouldn’t have anything to do with Downes’ move to St Mary’s, the fact that the two clubs have an amicable relationship could make a deal easier to reach.
Walker-Peters would be a stellar addition to the squad and would no doubt help alleviate the pressure from the shoulders of Vladimir Coufal next term.
In other West Ham news, David Sullivan has made a decision on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
For more West Ham news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
Related Topics