Southampton striker Damion Downs needs to ‘significantly improve’ his performances if HSV Hamburg are to sign him permanently in the summer.

That’s according to MOPO, who says Downs has plenty to do to impress his current loan club. He’s yet to make a positive impact in Germany.

The 21-year-old joined HSV at the beginning of the January transfer window. He’d only joined Southampton last summer in an €8m deal but failed to make an impact with the Saints.

By December, Sport Witness were covering various reports about his desire to leave. He eventually ended up at HSV, who were described as desperate when they did the deal. That deal includes a €10m option to buy.

Reluctant to pay €10m

And according to MOPO, they’re reluctant to pay that fee, or any fee, at this moment in time. The newspaper reports that Downs’ first four appearances for them have been ‘disappointing’.

There’s an acceptance that Downs’ confidence is low after a tough six months in England with Southampton. But the reality is that they expected more. They also weren’t the ones who negotiated that €10m clause either.

That came from Southampton’s bosses, led by Johannes Spors. They wanted to protect...