West Ham United are reported to have joined Crystal Palace in targeting former Blues midfielder Flynn Downes, who moved to Swansea last summer.

According to The Athletic, the Swans want £12 million for the 23-year-old, while the Eagles have offered £9 million plus add-ons. The Hammers are said to be ready to match Palace's figure.

Brentwood-born Downes may well favour a move to the East Londoners having grown up supporting them along with his whole family.

TWTD reported in March 2020 that West Ham were among a number of clubs keeping tabs on Downes.

The midfielder left the Blues for the Swans last summer for a fee of £1.4 million and had a hugely impressive campaign in the Championship.

We understand Town will receive a windfall from the deal with a sell-on having been included in last summer’s deal, probably around 10 per cent of the Swans’ profit, although the club isn’t commenting on whether such a clause was put in place.

Palace previously tried to sign Downes in the summer of 2020 when the Blues turned down two bids from the Eagles, the second of £1.6 million.

Meanwhile, former Blues striker David McGoldrick, 34, has joined Derby County on a one-year deal following his Sheffield United release at the end of last season.

One-time Town midfielder Conor Hourihane, 31, has also signed a two-year deal with the Rams having left Aston Villa.

Photo: Matchday Images

chenners17 added 15:50 - Jul 6 Gets to play with rice too and in Europe. No brainer for him
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Unhinged_dynamo added 16:13 - Jul 6 If he goes to West Ham and does well he'll be in the England squad after the euros
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cressi added 16:37 - Jul 6 I personally don't care where he ends up. All I care we get the most money possible to invest
6

Sospiri added 16:40 - Jul 6 How did we let a $12m player go for $1.4m? And not the first time we have done this. I expect our management teams to do better; they have cost us a fortune over the years. I expect much better of our current management team.
4

BlueBlood90 added 16:48 - Jul 6 I only care that he goes to the highest payer. Wonder if he'll go on strike about it!
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surgery added 16:58 - Jul 6 How the hell can this guy be valued at £12 million? It's insane
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PositivelyPortman added 17:02 - Jul 6 I never rated him. If he was Mr Ipswich then he had a funny way of showing it. I just hope they get as much for him as possible, and it'll go towards all the effort our club put into making him the player some peeps think he is.
3

RobITFC added 17:11 - Jul 6 Good, the more interested parties there are only increases his value, extra £££ sell on for us.
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blues1 added 17:12 - Jul 6 Sospiri We didnt let a £12m player go did we. We let go a player who wanted to leave, put in a transfer request and frankly, with his contract due to expire at the end of last season did well to get what we did for him. Fact is, he's not worth £12m now, not from what I've seen of him in televised games but if that's what Swansea value him at, it's up to them. Same for any.other club whod want to pay it. More a sign of how the transfer market is nowadays than his true value. And remember, had we not taken the £1.4m he'd likely have walked away for nothing at the end of that season.

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blues1 added 17:13 - Jul 6 * meantcend ofcthe season before last, regarding his contract btw
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blues1 added 17:17 - Jul 6 If he goes to West ham, I can't see him playing many games at all, with their midfield. Then again , could be the same with palace if they sign all the midfielders they're reportedly after. Already signed one, and linked with winks from spurs and gibbs white from wolves.
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chepstowblue added 17:23 - Jul 6 The world's gone mad. He just about coped in league 1 but didn't look anything out of the ordinary. He'll be so embarrassingly out of his depth. Even my 85yr old mother burst into hysterics when I broke the news to her.
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ImAbeliever added 17:38 - Jul 6 Bidding war please.
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therein61 added 17:39 - Jul 6 From our point of view a bidding war would be good for our%
1

ImAbeliever added 17:39 - Jul 6 Good luck in getting the right move.
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Billericay12 added 17:57 - Jul 6 Was never anything special for us. If we get a sell on fee plus what we sold him for then we have done well. He will never be anywhere near the England team and I will be very surprised if he makes it in the Premier league but good luck to him. Every player should push themselves to play at the highest possible level so credit for that
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aharris4 added 17:58 - Jul 6 Isnt he a West Ham fan too? Could be their next Mark Noble. Good luck!
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unknown100 added 18:21 - Jul 6 I just didn't think he was that good, he never consistently ran games, always solid but never really had that xfactor I remember watching Maddison for Norwich and he was always destined for the prem, always the stand out, ran games, downes just never really did that
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ThaiBlue added 18:51 - Jul 6 Just get the best deal we can and spend on the squad please.
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Ipswichbusiness added 20:04 - Jul 6 Poor Derby, if that is the best that they can sign.
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blues1 added 20:56 - Jul 6 Ipswichbusiness. Assume ur talking about Mcgoldrick, bcse hourihane is an excellent signing for them.
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runningout added 22:15 - Jul 6 Both decent signings for Derby for a season. Time for us now to get that juicy signing. Only joking!!
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Monkey_Blue added 01:37 - Jul 7 The level of irrationality on the comments here is frustrating. Downes moved for his career and it's paid off… I hope he signs for the premiership team that helps his career the most. Hypocrisy and brain dead comments are abound. He did the right thing leaving us given the short career span of a footballer. Some of you need to grow up.
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Unhinged_dynamo added 09:49 - Jul 7 I'm not sure why I was down marked for my comment above, it's obvious that if downes goes to a good prem team and does well alongside markedly better players in the league and maybe Europe then Southgate will have a look at him in a friendly or just within the squad, and who wouldn't want an ex Ipswich player to do well and progress like that? He might of left under a bit of a cloud but I don't begrudge him trying to do as well as possible in a short career

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chepstowblue added 13:41 - Jul 7 Can anybody explain to me(with a straight face) why they think Downes (a headless chicken who chases shadows and barely touches the ball) will do well in the Premier league ?! He wouldn't have got into our midfield last season.I'd suggest he'll never play a minutes football ever again. Now you mention it he sounds like the sort of player that Southgate would pick !!

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