Swansea City manager Russel Martin has shut down any Leeds United hopes of signing promising youngster Flynn Downes. Jesse Marsch’s side have been linked with the 23-year-old for a couple of months following the strong form he has shown in the Championship this season.
In a largely tough season for the Swans, Downes has stood out alongside a couple of his team mates and has unsurprisingly been linked with a Premier League move. According to a report in The Times last month, he is on the radar of those in charge of recruitment at Elland Road as they look to bolster the midfield ranks in the summer.
Martin faced a question regarding Downes’ future and he did his best to shut down any speculation. He told our colleagues at WalesOnline : "I wouldn't have thought they're [Leeds] the only team looking at him.
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“As far as we're concerned, Flynn's just bought a house in Swansea, he loves it, his partner loves it. He's loving what we're doing on the pitch. He has a great relationship with all of the coaching staff and players.
“He's really well respected and I think the fans really like him. I think that counts a lot for someone like Flynn, after the tough time he had last year, I don't think it's just about jumping at any opportunity.
“Ultimately we haven't had any phone calls from anyone. If we do then we'll have to cross that bridge when it comes to it.”
Despite making it abundantly clear that he wants to hang onto Downes, Martin did go on to admit that, for a club like Swansea to function efficiently, they have to sell players. One his team mates, Joel Piroe, has looked equally impressive this season and he too is one that could be moved on for the right price.
"That was part of our remit when we came in, to try to bring in some younger players who would help the club and evolve, and improve them whilst we're doing it,” claimed Martin. “So far he'll be brilliant evidence for other players if they're looking at other clubs, they'll maybe earn more money elsewhere.
“If you look at people like Flynn, Ben Cabango, [Matt] Grimesy, Joel Piroe, even just looking at their stats and how attractive that'll be for other clubs. Hopefully Flynn is one who is with us for a long time.
“It gives us the best chance of getting into the league we want to be in eventually, keeping a group of players together for long enough to do it. But we know the financial situation, we probably have to sell one or two every year.
“But Flynn I really want to keep. If we can find a way around that we will."
It certainly sounds as though Martin is desperate to hold onto Downes, which is a good indication of how useful he is to his current side. It also sounds like Leeds won’t be the only club vying for his signature in the summer, if they do at all.
For Whites supporters, it is definitely worth keeping an eye on developments regarding the youngster as he could well be the next player to make the step up from the Championship to the Premier League.
