Damion Downs leaves Cologne: Switch to Southampton Perfect!

Damion Downs leaves Cologne: Switch to Southampton Perfect!

A new era for 1. FC Köln has started because Damion Downs has announced his switch to FC Southampton. The 21-year-old striker, who recently celebrated the ascent with the billy goats, signed a contract with the Championship Club until 2029. The mopo reports that despite the intensive efforts to keep down, the negotiations did not lead to an agreement.

Cologne receives a transfer fee of eight million euros for the talented attacker, plus possible bonuses. For FC Köln, which is in a financial challenge, this is an acceptable solution that coincides with the transfer market in the Bundesliga, where a total of 149 million euros were spent on transfers last season, as the Statista summarizes.

The path of the talent

Damion Downs, who came to Cologne as a teenager from Ingolstadt five years ago, made a name for himself in the Bundesliga. He joined the FC Academy in 2020 and impressed in the U21, where he scored eight goals in just 18 games in the 2023-24 season. Downs celebrated his Bundesliga debut on September 23, 2023 in a coarse 2-1 defeat against Werder Bremen before scored his first goal in an exciting 3: 3 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach. In his first season he played ten games and meshed twice.

But not enough: Downs was also nominated for the U20 national team and was able to distinguish itself in six missions with two goals. This year he decided to try his luck with the jersey of the United States and made his debut at the Gold Cup, where he was on the pitch five times and had to accept a bitter 1-0 defeat in the final against Mexico FC Köln.

The decision for Southampton

The decision to leave the club was not easy. FC Köln had offered him an attractive perspective in the Bundesliga, but ultimately he chose a path that leads him to England. "I am grateful for all the support and the warmth I was able to experience in Cologne," he said. Thomas Kessler, the Sporting Director of 1. FC Köln, thanked Downs for his achievements and wished him all the best for the future.

Overall, this change reflects the dynamics of the transfer market, in which the transfer sums and player movements often vary greatly. For example, expenses for transfers in the Premier League rose to around 2.8 billion euros in the 2024/2025 season, while the Bundesliga had a transfer deficit this year. A good deal for Cologne under the given circumstances that hopefully bring the Cologne team into the coming season.