St. Louis City SC is on the verge of signing U.S. forward Damion Downs on loan from Southampton, an English Championship team, according to a source with inside knowledge of the arrangement who spoke to ESPN.
The 22-year-old Downs is eager for a new beginning after struggling to score for Southampton since he joined the club in July 2025. This season, he has yet to play a game for them in the Championship.
Downs appeared to be on an upswing after netting 11 goals across competitions for FC Cologne during the 2024-25 season. His performance earned him a spot with the USMNT for the 2025 Gold Cup, where he scored the decisive penalty in the shootout against Costa Rica during the quarterfinals.
However, Downs’ last club goal came during that same season with Cologne. A subsequent loan to Hamburg SV in the Bundesliga last year resulted in 12 appearances but failed to turn his fortunes around.
In St. Louis, Downs will face stiff competition for a spot, especially with the anticipated addition of Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro. St. Louis has been performing strongly, remaining unbeaten in their last 12 league matches and climbing to sixth in the Western Conference standings.
Downs has represented the USMNT six times. Born in Germany to an American father and a German mother, he spent part of his childhood in the United States.
The news of Downs’ loan to St. Louis was initially reported by The Athletic.