West Ham lose talented squad man for £18m but deal could be strategic

West Ham are certainly getting deals done in the current summer transfer window.

Luis Guilherme and Max Kilman are just two big names that the Hammers have already secured, whilst there appears to be almost daily updates as far as players that the East London outfit retain an interest in.

Of course, there will be those players that need to be sold to balance up the books, and one of those is talented defensive midfielder, Flynn Downes.

West Ham sell Flynn Downes to Southampton for £18m

According to The Standard, Downes, 25, who spent last season on loan at Southampton, has secured a permanent move to the Premier League new boys for £18m.

That might be seen as a strategic move by the Irons, as they are apparently also in talks with the Saints for Kyle Walker-Peters, who only has 12 months left on his current deal.

Further, The Standard also note an interest in Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson, and cashing in on Downes could help Tim Steidten land both players for Julen Lopetegui.

There does appear to be a shift in the way West Ham are operating this summer when compared with previous windows.

They’re clearly not being gung-ho about their signings, whilst also ensuring that they remain in the conversation for those players that have been identified as potential new recruits.

The style of play is set to be markedly different from the past few seasons too, as Lopetegui prefers a front-foot attacking style, rather than the defensive set up employed by his predecessor, David Moyes.

If the Hammers can land either of their next two targets thanks to the Downes sale, then it will have been a worthwhile exercise for all concerned.