Overview

• Downs, a 21-year-old homegrown striker, declined a four-year contract extension from Köln to join Championship club Southampton through 2029.
• Southampton paid an initial €8 million fee, with the deal structured to include performance-linked bonuses and a sell-on clause.
• The transfer ranks as the seventh-largest revenue generator in Köln’s history and the club’s biggest sale since 2021.
• He is the tenth player to leave Köln this summer and one of only two departures to bring in transfer income after Max Finkgräfe’s €4 million move to RB Leipzig.
• He now aims to spearhead Southampton’s push for Premier League promotion, boosting his credentials for the US national team ahead of the next World Cup.