£7m Damion Downs warning as Southampton make new bid for Mauricio Pochettino favourite

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As Paul Onuachu and Kamaldeen Sulemana close in on summer departures from Will Still’s Southampton, reports of a £7 million bid for FC Koln striker Damion Downs suggests that the Saints already know how they plan to reinvest such a windfall.

Though Trabzonspor hit out at Southampton’s demands last week, the Super Lig giants have finally agreed a deal to take Onuachu back to Turkey.

Kamaldeen Sulemana is joining Atalanta, meanwhile, for an up-front fee of around £15 million. This means that, in pursuit of attacking reinforcements, Southampton are a club pursuing their top targets with much heavier pockets.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis could join FC Porto for big money too.

So, while Cologne have stayed firm so far in the face of Southampton’s ongoing pursuit of Damion Downs, one suspects that this is a battle with only one winner.

Especially with Christian Keller, Cologne’s recently-departed Managing Director for Sport, explaining the obstacles the Cathedral City outfit have run into when trying to secure Downs on a new contract.

Former Cologne boss Christian Keller sheds light on Southampton target Damion Downs

According to the Kolner Stadt Anzeiger, Southampton have now made two offers for Damion Downs.

They failed with an initial offer of just over £4 million. Now, with their German talentspotter Johannes Spors driving things, an improved bid in the region of £7 million has landed on Cologne’s table.

Keller had been the man responsible for holding discussions with Downs’ camp until he said his goodbyes back in May.

And, as he sheds light on a precarious situation in conversation with Express, the Southampton bosses could be forgiven for feeling that this is something they can take full advantage of.

“Damion Downs has an extension offer that would have everyone reeling. The decision now lies with the player,” Keller explains.

“The talks with him and his agency have been ongoing since late autumn.”

Downs plays for Mauricio Pochettino’s USA alongside Alex Freeman

Perhaps the biggest obstacle standing in Southampton’s way is Cologne’s imminent return to the Bundesliga. Downs provided 11 goals and six assists last season as Effzeh claimed the second-tier title ahead of fellow sleeping giants Hamburg.

Should the three-time USA international now swap Cologne for Southampton, he would be trading in first-tier football for second-tier action across the Channel.

“Damion already had the ambition to play in the Bundesliga and only [wanted to] extend his contract in the first division,” Keller adds. “However the desired framework conditions, such as release clauses, must also be worthwhile for the club.

“Otherwise, it may be more attractive to [sell him] and use the transfer proceeds to sign a new player with a similar or, at best, better level of performance.

“The way forward must also be to let go of players at the right time.”

Downs, only three inches smaller than Onuachu at 6ft 4, is not the first American talent on Southampton’s radar.

Former Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino is in charge of the USMNT these days. Pochettino is a big fan of Alex Freeman too, the Orlando City right-back reportedly identified to replace Kyle Walker-Peters on the banks of the Solent.