Ipswich Town join Southampton in transfer battle for West Ham United and formal Ipswich academy worth £100 million+..

West Ham United’s midfielder Flynn Downes has spent this season on loan at Southampton. Both Southampton and Ipswich Town are now vying for his permanent transfer from West Ham. According to the Sunday Mirror (print edition, 30 June, page 72), Downes, who performed exceptionally well during his loan at Southampton, has also attracted interest from Ipswich Town, his former club.

Flynn Downes, 25, initially left Ipswich Town, his hometown club, for Swansea City before moving to West Ham in 2022. With Ipswich Town recently promoted to the Premier League, there is a possibility he could return to his former club.

Southampton also gained promotion to the Premier League after winning the Championship play-off final, with Downes playing a key role in their success. They are keen to make his move to St. Mary’s permanent.

According to GiveMeSport (7 June), it seems highly likely that Downes will not be part of West Ham’s squad next season. With no clear path into West Ham’s first team and two recently promoted clubs vying for his signature, it appears certain that he will leave.

Downes made 99 appearances for Ipswich Town between 2017 and 2021, which brought him to West Ham’s attention. Following their Premier League promotion, Ipswich will be confident in re-signing their former academy player.

However, given Downes’ significant contribution to Southampton’s promotion, they may be better positioned to offer him a permanent first-team role next season. Southampton might have an edge in securing Downes due to West Ham’s interest in Southampton’s right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who has one year left on his contract. Southampton could use this to their advantage to finalize Downes’ transfer.

Furthermore, West Ham is also preparing for a third bid from Wolves for their player Max Kilman, indicating more activity in the transfer market.