Southampton Flop In Line For Bundesliga Move Mere Months After EFL Championship Swap

Saints Set to Off-Load Flop Striker to Bundesliga Giants

Bundesliga side Hamburg are planning a small raid of the EFL Championship this winter, and have identified a wantaway Southampton forward as a potential target for the forthcoming January transfer window.

Southampton have suffered a disappointing attempt at returning to the Premier League this season, after suffering the drop last term, and made several signings to bolster their squad back in the summer window. However, just a few months after joining The Saint's, one player in particular is set to bring an end to his disappointing spell on the South Coast already this January.

Sounds as if Damion Downs will be off in January. What a poor transfer - the only failed signing this summer? #SaintsFC

— Alex (@AlexComber_) December 22, 2025

Downs Set to End Saints Nightmare Early

According to German outlet Kicker, USA and Southampton forward Damian Downs has been identified as a new target for Hamburg this January, having only joined the club for a hefty £7m back in the summer from then-2.Bundesliga side FC Koln.

Born in Germany and capped six times for the United States, Downs has only managed to start one Championship game all season for Southampton and has contributed just one goal contribution - an assist on opening day in a 2-1 win against Wrexham.

#SaintsFC's Transfer Window So Far, as of August 28th

Incomings: 🏡
☘️ Finn Azaz - £15m
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Tom Fellows - £7m
🇩🇪 Caspar Jander - £10m
🇩🇪 Joshua Quarshie - £3.5m
🇺🇸 Damian Downs - £7m
🇩🇰 Mads Roerslev - £5m (guess)
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 George Long - Loan 🙌
🇧🇪 Will Still - 2028

Outgoings: ✈️
🇵🇹… pic.twitter.com/Z3GdHIdTow

— Saints Statistics (@TheStatsSaint) August 28, 2025

Amidst the solid form of starting striker Adam Armstrong, who has found the net on 11 occasions this term in the league, Downs has grown unhappy with a lack of gametime being afforded to him and is ready to depart the club just a few months after arriving from Germany in the first place.

Hamburg are the club ready to move in for the 6-times-capped USMNT striker, and their fortunes in the league have been a total opposite to Southampton's - they returned to the Championship following one of the worst Premier League seasons of all time, winning just 12 points on their way to relegation.

The Saints are also under the watch of their 4th permanent manager across the last 12 months. Tonda Eckert now has the permanent reins in hand at St. Mary's, and is preparing for his first transfer window in a full-time managerial position after replacing Will Still on an inital interim basis on the South Coast, who was dismissed on the 2nd of November.

🚨👀 Damion #Downs wants to keep his World Cup chances alive, so a move in January is possible.

Concrete enquiries have been made. Hamburger SV are interested, first reported by Kicker and confirmed. However, he is also on the radar of other Bundesliga clubs. #HSV

The problem:… pic.twitter.com/cFlVWKWvym

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) December 22, 2025

Saints currently reside in 11th place in the Championship as Christmas Day approaches, with Eckert's side battling against inconsistent form shown over recent weeks with a solid 1-1 drawr against runaway league leaders Coventry City last time out.

Whilst Southampton are six places adrift of the playoffs so far, they only sit three points away despite the face and supporters have already started geting ready for potential activity in the market this winter.

From Still's one transfer window leading the club, Saints brought in nine players including the hefty arrival of Downs - he joined from FC Koln for a large £7m after they, like Hamburg, returned to the Bundesliga.

However, the big-money striker could be set for a speedy move straight back to Germany, with a potential loan until the end of the season being touted as the potential next step for Downs.