Southampton’s complicated situation in Ross Stewart’s contract renewal can open the door for loanee returnee Damion Downs.
Southampton’s recent transfer teaser for third‑choice keeper George Long didn’t sit well with supporters. With fans anticipating news of James Bree or Ross Stewart’s renewal, the announcement likely left more questions than answers.
Now, James Bree’s situation still remains optimistic, with the expected to accept the offered deal. However, Stewart’s situation is far from simple, and the forward could leave for free if an agreement isn’t reached between his representatives and the club.
Stewart’s departure will leave Southampton with only one reliable forward in Cyle Larin. While securing the Scot’s future is a priority for Southampton, the current standoff could open the door for another Saint.
The player in question is Damion Downs. After a terrible 2025/26 campaign with no goals to his name, the forward will be eager to put last season behind him, which was hampered by overblown expectations.
Overexpectations proved fatal for Damion Downs’ 2025/26 season
Around a year ago, Southampton announced the signing of Damion Downs from FC Köln for a £7m fee. Having recently debuted for Mauricio Pochettino’s US national team and coming off the back of an impressive 15 G/A campaign, Downs was seen as key to the Saints’ promotion push.
If the expectation of spearheading a promotion push wasn’t enough, a goal in his unofficial Saints debut in a friendly against Espanyol had fans excited. However, his inability to meet those expectations led him to fall out of favour much too soon.
With the USMNT forward struggling to contribute to Southampton’s attack, Downs was loaned to Hamburger SV in January. While the scenery changed for him, the weight of expectation followed and disrupted his spell once again.
Recently, Kai Schiller spoke to Attacking Football about what impacted Downs’ Hamburg spell the most. Schiller said: “To be honest, there were a lot of expectations of Damion Downs, and Hamburg was expecting a lot [from] him. Unfortunately, in the end, that was a big disappointment for everybody: the club, the coach – Merlin Polzin – and the fans.”
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Notably, Downs had an incredible 2. Bundesliga campaign in the 2024/25 season. Having scored 10 goals for Köln in the second division, a move back to Germany was expected to help him recover his form.
However, nothing other than disappointment followed. With the player arriving low on confidence after failing to get firing at Southampton, Downs went goalless in his loan spell to end a disastrous 2025/26 season.
Does Ross Stewart’s contract situation open a spot for Downs?
Ideally, Damion Downs’ recent form hardly presents enough reason for why Southampton should reintegrate him back into their plans. However, an opportunity could open up given the complications in Ross Stewart’s renewal situation.
Reportedly, Southampton missed the deadline to extend Stewart’s contract by an additional year. With the club failing to renew him in time, the player’s agents are now pushing for a better deal.
If anything, the ongoing standoff could help loanee returnee Damion Downs’ situation. Returning from the back of a goalless spell, it is likely he would need to start afresh in winning back Southampton’s trust.
From Southampton’s perspective, the club could be open to giving Downs another chance. With Stewart’s situation unresolved and only one reliable forward in Cyle Larin available, the Saints could test whether Downs can finally deliver what was hoped of him when he arrived.
In this scenario, the upcoming pre‑season would be key for Damion Downs at Southampton. Should he look like his old 2025/26 self, the Saints would be left with no option other than to eventually collect a cut‑price fee for his sale.
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