Southampton played out a 2-2 draw at home to fellow promotion contenders Ipswich Town in Tuesday night’s Championship clash. Ryan Manning and Cyle Larin were on target for the hosts against the Tractor Boys at St Mary’s Stadium.

The result means Southampton will have to settle for the play-offs this term. Plans for the summer will likely be put on hold until they know what division they are in.

However, one man they now know will be at the club next year is Damion Downs. German reporter Florian Plettenberg has said that Downs will return to the club. Hamburg have opted against making his loan deal permanent.

The German outfit had an option-to-buy of between €9-10million this summer. However, they do not see Downs as the striker to take them forward and are instead looking at other options this summer. Therefore, Downs will head back to the South Coast.

Where does Downs’ future lie?

There’s no denying this has been a difficult season for Downs. His move to Southampton has not delivered the expected results. In addition, a temporary return to Germany has also failed to revive his campaign.

Despite that, with three years still left on his contract, the Saints are unlikely to make any hasty decisions. Instead, they will assess whether Downs can still play a role moving forward. Given the promise he showed during his breakthrough at 1. FC Koln, there is clearly still potential there.

That said, it feels like he may benefit from a fresh start. He has yet to build a connection with the Southampton supporters. With Tonda Eckert able to call on in-form forwards like Ross Stewart and Larin, regular minutes could be hard to come by.

If Southampton still believe in Downs, another loan move could be an option. Alternatively, they may decide to sell and recover as much of their investment as possible to reinvest elsewhere.

Next few days will dictate Southampton’s summer window

A transfer window rarely goes by without Southampton’s standout talents attracting attention. Leo Scienza is just one of several players currently being tracked by rival clubs.

Shea Charles is another drawing significant interest after impressing for both club and country. A number of Premier League sides are said to be monitoring his situation ahead of the summer, with his current deal running until 2027.

Shea Charles’ stats this season

Elsewhere, Casper Jander is catching the eye of clubs in the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, centre-back Joshua Quarshie has reportedly emerged as a target for Eintracht Frankfurt as they prepare for a rebuild.

Southampton may face a significant challenge to keep hold of several key players regardless of how their season ends. That task will only become more difficult if they remain in the Championship.