I can’t have been the only one utterly confused by Southampton Manager Russell Martin’s “come and get me” plea to Flynn Downes yesterday.
In many respects, it seemed more like a desperate call for West Ham to lower their asking price than an appeal to the player himself. However, the whole situation appeared a bit strange and conflicted with a story that emerged only a few days prior.
Just days ago, learned football insiders reported that the south coast club had priced themselves out of a move for Flynn Downes. The latest news on the transfer grapevine suggested the Saints wanted £10 million in addition to the Hammers’ midfielder in exchange for their defender Kyle Walker-Peters.
As far as we know, West Ham would be quite willing to do a straight swap deal, valuing both players between £15-20 million. It is also understood that Walker-Peters is open to moving to East London and may have even agreed to terms.
Therefore, it seems the only thing holding up the transfer, which Russell Martin seems so desperate for, is Southampton’s demand for an additional £10 million.
Assuming Downes is happy to relocate his young family and play for Southampton again, the one remaining stumbling block appears to be the Saints’ greed.
So it was indeed odd to read Martin’s plea for Flynn Downes to be released from the chains shackling him to the London Stadium.
If Southampton wants to purchase the player from West Ham, they might find that actual negotiation, rather than a tantrum, would yield better results.