Southampton attacker
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This article appeared on Transfermarkt in its first version on January 3rd. at 2:07 p.m. and was subsequently updated.
Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV have a great rivalry – which is now apparently also noticeable on the transfer market. According to a Sky report, the Green-Whites have entered the race for Damion Downs from Southampton FC. The Rothosen have been said to be interested in the 21-year-old attacker for a long time. There is a need for improvement on the offensive in both Bremen and Hamburg.
Update January 5th, 7:50 p.m.: According to the “Deichstube”, HSV currently has a slight advantage in the race for Downs, although SVW would still be in the race. The player is said to have already turned down other interested parties from the Bundesliga and abroad. Werder is considering a loan with an option to buy, but is also examining other options on the striker market.
Downs moved from 1. FC Köln to Southampton in the summer for 8 million euros, where he signed a long-term contract until 2029. But so far the station on the island is going differently than expected. In 14 appearances, Downs started only twice and was on the field for just 395 minutes. He managed to create an assist. Significantly not enough playing time, because the fast attacker would like to be in the USA squad for the home World Cup in the summer. He made his debut in June, but was no longer considered for the international matches in October and November.
Downs, whose market value fell from 8 million to 7 million euros in December, could strengthen Bremen’s previously disappointing offensive. Victor Boniface and Keke Topp were deployed in the attack center by coach Horst Steffen in the first half of the season – with manageable success. Both went scoreless, and to make matters worse, Boniface is expected to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. That’s why they’re looking for a new attacker on the Weser to end the goal drought.
“I don’t know whether one should speak of excessive pressure, because the pressure is always there for us. And we can deal with that. I see the situation more as an opportunity. I hope that we can find a solution as quickly as possible,” Werder’s head of licensing Peter Niemeyer told the “Deichstube” on Friday.
The same applies to the eternal rival from Hamburg. New signing and captain Yussuf Poulsen has repeatedly struggled with injuries and only scored once this season – of all things in the 3-2 win in the northern derby. Ransford Königsdörffer and Robert Glatzel were also only successful once, with Königsdörffer in particular frustrating the HSV fans. The fast attacker missed numerous great opportunities this season and thus also missed important points in the fight to stay in the league. An accurate attacker should be hired in winter.