Hammers News spoke with Wales Online journalist and Swansea City fan Guto Llewelyn, with Flynn Downes reportedly set to join West Ham United.
West Ham are closing in on a deal to sign the 23-year-old central midfielder from Swansea City for an initial £9 million fee that could rise to £12 million according to a report from The Evening Standard.
His medical is apparently booked for today so this one should get wrapped up fairly quickly.
Downes should be a very good signing indeed for the Hammers.
He is a very impressive footballer. But what can the West Ham fans expect from the Essex-born lifelong Hammers supporter?
Flynn Downes to join West Ham
Hammers News spoke to Swansea City expert Guto Llewelyn about the 23-year-old ace and he gave us the lowdown on what to expect from him…
We asked Llewelyn which position Downes is best suited to playing:
“Flynn Downes is a defensive midfielder who has also played at centre-back in a back five on occasion, but make no mistake, he is at his best in midfield, breaking up opposition attacks, securing possession and recycling the ball.”
And what are the 23-year-old’s main strengthens?
“He is a lovely combination of an old-fashioned enforcer and a modern passing midfielder. He had the highest pass completion in the Championship last season and is very comfortable on the ball. Don’t expect these to be defence-splitting passes but he keeps the ball moving and does the hard work so that the more attacking players are freed up to do their thing. He absolutely loves a tackle, always goes in 100% and rather than booting it out of play, he will do his best to emerge from a tackle with the ball. He’s also extremely composed under pressure and has great ball control, meaning he’s great at dribbling out of tight spots. He’s also physically strong, which you may not expect just by looking at him, but he can hold off much bigger players when dribbling.”
Any weaknesses?
“He won’t get you many goals but that’s not his job. He can also get hot headed sometimes. He was sent off at QPR earlier this year after Charlie Austin got under his skin and there have been a few other occasions where he’s been on a yellow card and taken needless risks which he was lucky to get away with. We loved his aggression but he just needs to calm himself sometimes.”
Is £12 million a fair price for the midfielder?
“From a Swansea point of view I think that’s a fair price all things considered but I’m convinced had he stayed another season his price would be much higher. Nevertheless, I think it’s generally a good deal all round. Downes gets to move to his boyhood club and play at the highest level, West Ham get a great young player without breaking the bank, Swansea get £12m which hopefully means we won’t have to sell any other big names and it opens the door for the return of Joe Allen who, while being much older than Downes and not as good as him anymore, is still a good replacement who is still loved by Swansea fans.”
And finally, what’s one thing about Downes in particular that the West Ham fans should be really excited about?
“The main reason West Ham fans will get excited about Downes is that his style of play is remarkably similar to that of Declan Rice. I’ve been saying it all season, he’s been the Championship’s answer to Rice. He’s a great defensive presence, an accurate passer and a strong and athletic runner. He’s also a Hammers fan. I’m not saying he’s as good as Rice but their games are extremely similar. He’s already an outstanding player, definitely ready for the Premier League, but he’s only going to get better over the years to come.”
It seems as though the Swansea City midfielder could be a huge hit at the London Stadium this summer.
And with Flynn Downes reportedly set to join West Ham, David Moyes seemingly has a great long-term replacement for Mark Noble lined up.
Big thanks to @GutoLlewelyn for answering our questions.
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