Southampton weigh €5m purchase of Köln striker Damion Downs
Florian Plettenberg reports that relegated Premier League club Southampton FC are interested in acquiring FC Köln striker Damion Downs. The newly-capped USMNT national netted 10 goals and contributed five assists for his promoted 2. Bundesliga outfit last season.
His current estimated market value stands at a career high €5m. This, per Plettenberg, is the price the Saints are willing to pay.
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Downs carries some Bundesliga experience as well. The now 20-year-old made ten relief appearances for Köln in the top flight during the 2023/24 campaign. The German American twice scored crucial goals off the bench.
A dramatic late equalizer against Borussia Mönchengladbach on matchday 25 helped die Geißböcke snatch a 3-3 draw off their fierce Rhein rivals. Downs also helped die Effzeh complete a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over relegation rivals Union Berlin with a late winner on matchday 33.
The points Downs directly helped his team gain ultimately couldn't help Köln avoid relegation, but the youngster quickly became a popular figure among both cathedral city side supporters and the German footballing public in general.
Köln will obviously not be extra keen to allow their leading goal-scorer from last season depart, even if they have secured some attacking additions ahead of the coming Bundesliga season.
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The local Kölner Stadt Anzeiger recently reported that Köln tendered Downs a generous four-year contract-extension replete with a hefty pay raise. Köln have made renewing with both Downs and midfielder Eric Martel a top priority.
Downs – one of countless German footballers of partial U.S. military heritage – has his own tendencies. In the case of this particular footballer, a large portion of his childhood spent in the States led him to adopt English as his first language.
GGFN | Peter Weis
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