Southampton still do not know which division they will be playing in next season.
The Saints currently sit 4th in the Championship table. They are nine points adrift of the automatic promotion places, but with games in hand on those ahead of them.
As a result, there is still a possibility of them being a Premier League club next season. Equally though, there is a chance they will still be plying their trade in the Championship at that point.
Until they know which division they will be in, it may be difficult for them to set out a clear plan for the summer transfer window.
However, it seems one player whose future Southampton have already made a decision over, is Flynn Downes.
Southampton want permanent Flynn Downes deal
Back in the summer transfer window, Southampton completed the signing of Downes on a season-long loan from West Ham.
That saw him reunite with Saints boss Russell Martin, who he had previously played under at Swansea City.
The midfielder has since become an established player at St Mary’s. In total, he has made 26 appearances in all competitions for the club.
As a result, reports have already claimed that Southampton will look to sign Downes permanently in the summer transfer window.
That is regardless of what division they are playing in, and despite the fact there is no option to buy included in the loan deal.
However, there may be an argument that the form of another player currently at West Ham, could harm any hopes Martin has of an extended reunion with Downes.
Kalvin Phillips struggling at West Ham
Back in the January transfer window, West Ham completed a central midfield loan signing of their own.
That came with the addition of Kalvin Phillips, who joined on a temporary basis from Manchester City.
Since making that move though, the England international has struggled badly at The London Stadium.
Phillips has already made some costly errors for West Ham, and he has also picked up a red card in one of just six league outings for the club.
That has even led to former England international Darren Bent claiming that the midfielder has looked ‘way off the pace’ for the Hammers.
All of that, is unlikely to be good news for Southampton and their hopes for Downes. With Phillips struggling so considerably, it is hard to imagine West Ham will be looking to make his loan move permanent in the summer.
As a result, Phillips will surely find himself back at Manchester City come the end of this season.
In turn, that will leave the Hammers a man down when it comes to their options in the centre of midfield.
Because of that, when Downes returns to the Premier League club at the end of his loan spell with Southampton, they may be inclined to keep him around.
That way, they will be able to fill the void left by the exit of Phillips in the centre of the park, without having to go out and invest in another signing.
In turn, that could of course, leave Southampton with an uphill task to convince the Hammers to allow them to reunite with Downes once the window is open.
Indeed, there are still three years remaining on Downes’ contract with West Ham as well. That of course, means there is no pressure on the Hammers to sell during the upcoming window.
That could therefore make him a solid replacement for Phillips at West Ham, especially after a pretty successful individual campaign at St Mary’s.
With all that in mind, it does seem as though Phillips’ form at West Ham has done Southampton few favours, when it comes to their plans for the summer.