Damion Downs joins Southampton - Köln receive top 10 fee for USMNT player

Promoted Bundesliga side 1. FC Köln have sold US men’s national team striker Damion Downs to Southampton. According to various media reports, the Championship side will pay €8 million for the 20-year-old striker. A fee in that region makes Downs one of the ten most expensive outgoing transfers in Köln’s history (overview). Downs' contract with Köln was set to expire in 2026, but negotiations for a new four-year contract were never concluded. Southampton offered a deal that was impossible to turn down for the Billy Goats. In a Saints club statement, Downs said: "Everybody plays football to win titles. To win my first title at 20 last year was a great feeling, and I hope to repeat it again this year. I think Southampton is a big club that should be in the Premier League, and that’s my goal – to help the team as much as I can to bring the club back to the Premier League."

Downs was a crucial player for Köln last season. The forward scored 11 goals and six assists in 32 games across all competitions for the Cologne club. As a result of his performances, Downs was able to increase his market value from €2.5m to €6m last season. A former U20 German national team player (two goals in six games), Downs switched his allegiance to the United States, where his father is from, in the spring. That opened the door for Downs to represent the USMNT at the Gold Cup, where he came off the bench in three games and failed to score a single goal.

Damion Downs to Southampton: What sort of player is he?

What can Southampton expect from Damion Downs? A tall and physical player, Downs scored every 180 minutes for Köln in the 2. Bundesliga last season. Indeed, his best attributes are his size and physical strength. More of a target man rather than a scorer, Downs is very good at creating room for the players around him. Indeed, his profile makes him a perfect player for the Championship, where physical strikers seem to thrive. Southampton have done very well in recent years identifying players with potential upside, and at €8m, Downs is a bet worth making.

The towering striker revealed he had spoken to national team head coach and former Saints manager Mauricio Pochettino about the prospect of moving to Southampton prior to putting pen to paper on a four-year deal at St Mary’s. “I knew it (that Pochettino managed Saints), we talked a little bit. He just told me how great the city is, how great the club is and the fans. The resume speaks for itself - Southampton had a lot of great players in the past, and I think this is the right move for me right now to make the next step in my career.” On his own playing style, Downs added: “I think I have great finishing, good runs in behind, I can really hurt the defensive line of the opponent, and at the same time I think I’ve showed that I can also assist a lot of goals, so that’s pretty much what I bring to the game. “I can’t wait to play in the stadium and in front of all of the fans. I’m really excited.”