St. Louis City SC is set to acquire United States forward Damion Downs on loan from English Championship side Southampton, a source with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to ESPN.
Downs, 22, is looking for a fresh start after failing to find the net for the Saints since the club acquired him in July of 2025. He has yet to appear for the club in the Championship so far this season.
The U.S. international appeared to be on the rise after scoring 11 goals in all competitions for FC Cologne during the 2024-25 season. A spot with the USMNT for the 2025 Gold Cup followed, and he scored the winning penalty in the shootout victory over Costa Rica in the quarterfinals.
But Downs' last goal at club level came during the aforementioned campaign with Cologne. Not even a return to the Bundesliga last season on loan with Hamburg SV, which saw him make 12 appearances, was enough to revive his fortunes.
Downs will find the competition for places intense given the team's likely capture of Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro. St. Louis has also been among the hotter teams in MLS, having gone unbeaten in its last 12 league matches, and moving up to sixth place in the Western Conference.
Downs has made a total of six appearances for the USMNT. He was born in Germany to an American father and German mother and spent some of his childhood in the United States.
The Athletic was the first to report the news of Downs' loan to St. Louis.