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Flynn Downes faces uncertain West Ham future

West Ham boss David Moyes has suggested that he is extremely pleased with the performance of Flynn Downes this season.

The Hammers paid £9m to sign Downes from Swansea City in the summer of 2022, but most of his appearances for the Hammers have come from the bench.

He joined Southampton on loan this season where he is reunited with manager Russell Martin who worked with him at Swansea.

West Ham bolstered their midfielder during the summer and Downes felt it would be best for him to move out elsewhere and play regularly. He has played a key role for the Saints this season, and Martin has hailed him as a “big player” for them.

According to a report from The Athletic, the Saints are determined to sign him permanently irrespective of their league status. At the same time, it is “unclear” where his long-term future lies.

“He is a big player for us, he is important,” said Martin. “He’s a brilliant character, he’s a winner, someone who’s aggressive and a brilliant athlete too.”

Should West Ham keep Downes?

Southampton are in the race for an automatic promotion and they will be in a better place to sign Downes if they move to the Premier League at the end of the season.

Moyes might be interested in adding one more top-quality midfielder to the ranks in the summer, which could open the door for Downes to join Southampton permanently.

The midfielder missed the last four games with a hip injury but he is set to return against Birmingham City. He has been arguably one of the top midfielders in the Championship this season and the Saints rate him highly.

The defensive midfielder has scored one and provided two assists across 24 appearances and he is a favourite among the fans already. Ideally, West Ham should give him another opportunity in the first team next season, but if the Hammers get a good offer for him, they could be tempted to let him go.

In other West Ham news, Chris Sutton has predicted the score of Hammers’ clash v Everton in the Premier League.

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