Team

HSV sign Damion Downs on loan

The 21-year-old striker has joined HSV on loan from Southampton FC for the remainder of the 2025/26 season. Claus Costa: “Damion is a direct centre-forward and has a great mix of size, pace and ability to get in behind.”

Hamburger SV have officially presented their first signing of the January transfer window, with centre-forward Damion Downs joining the Rothosen for the rest of the season. The 21-year-old German-American moved from 1. FC Köln to English second-division side Southampton FC in the summer and has now put pen to paper on his HSV contract, having completed his medical on Tuesday (January 6th).

“Over the past few days, we worked extremely hard to sign Damion and are delighted that we were able to convince him of both HSV and our long-term vision. We worked hard to convince Damion about HSV and the path we’re on and we’re pleased he’s in agreement. Claus and his team did a fantastic job. This signing goes to show how we can be convincing in showing how desirable we are as a destination for players,” explained board member Eric Huwer.

Damion Downs alongside Eric Huwer and Claus Costa. — Board member Eric Huwer (left) and director of football Claus Costa (right) were alongside Damion Downs as he signed for HSV.

“With Damion, we’ve filled a position in the squad that we were looking to strengthen early on in this transfer window. He already knows the Bundesliga and brings an interesting mix of quality and potential for development,” said director of football Claus Costa, giving more of an insight into the 1.92m-tall striker. “Damion is a direct centre-forward and has a great mix of size, pace and ability to get in behind. With his strengths in transition and his presence in the box, he fits very well with the profile of player that we and the coaching staff were looking for.”

Köln, Southampton, HSV

Damion Lamar Downs was born on 6th July 2004 in Werneck, Bavaria, to a German mother and an American father. He began his football career at DJK Schwebenried/Schwemmelsbach, then played in the youth academies of 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 and FC Ingolstadt 04, before moving to the youth setup of 1. FC Köln in the summer of 2020. In Köln’s U17 and U19 teams, Downs received the finishing touches to his football education and made the step up to the first team, making his Bundesliga debut in September 2023 and scoring his first two Bundesliga goals toward the end of that same season. Downs has also represented Germany’s U20 national team under head coach Hannes Wolf.

Downs became a regular starter during the 2024/25 season, following Köln’s relegation to the second division. In that role, he helped his side achieve immediate promotion back to the top flight, scoring ten goals and providing five assists across the campaign. His performances earned him a move to English Championship side Southampton FC in the summer of 2025, as well as a first senior cap for the USA national side. He has since made six appearances for his country. The tall striker made 14 appearances for Southampton in the first half of the season, before deciding to take on a new challenge at HSV with great anticipation: “I’m extremely happy to be at HSV and to begin this journey with the club. I’ve had good conversations with the management, which has given me a good feeling for the task ahead. I can hardly wait to show what I can do on the pitch and play at the highest level of German football again,” said HSV’s new number 19.

Moin and welcome to Hamburg, Damion!