Flynn Downes exit update at West Ham United as hurdles emerge ahead of Southampton transfer
West Ham United sources suggest Flynn Downes’ summer transfer to Southampton is 95 per cent complete, according to Sean Whetstone.
Whetstone reported via the West Ham Football X account (15 July) that while the midfielder is set to leave the Irons’ training camp in Austria to complete a medical, his move to St Mary’s isn’t yet complete.
There are still some “small hurdles” to overcome, but should the transfer be completed as expected, the deal will see the Irons turn a profit on the 25-year-old who they signed for an initial £8.95million from Swansea.
Southampton are expected to pay an £18million fee for Downes having been impressed with his performances during his loan spell on the South Coast [Dharmesh Sheth, 15 July].
Will Flynn Downes exit West Ham United amid Southampton transfer speculation?
Things can always change quickly during the transfer window and no one can be confident that this move will definitely happen until Downes has signed his contract with the Saints and been pictured wearing a Southampton shirt.
Every transfer has these sort of small hurdles to overcome and there has been little suggestion from any party involved in the deal that the Irons won’t find a way to iron out the final details of this summer switch.
Downes is known to be keen on making the move back to the south coast and Julen Lopetegui has taken his time to assess the midfielder before sanctioning his exit. Everyone involved in this deal wants to see it completed.
West Ham will almost certainly be happy to have secured a multi-million-pound profit on a player who never quite managed to crack the Premier League.
Hopefully, that money will be reinvested back into Lopetegui’s squad this summer. While a replacement in midfield isn’t desperately needed, the Hammers are still in the market for a new number nine.
In other West Ham news, a new update around Danny Ings’ future could force Michail Antonio out of the London Stadium this summer
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