The playmaker was a key player under Martin at St Mary's as well as at Swansea in his younger years and could now be on the move to the Scottish Premiership after the club was pumped full of cash due to their recent takeover by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises.
This takeover will inject around £20M-£30M into the club’s transfer market and The Sun report that Martin is keen to get spending despite only being in the job for just over a week.The Saints are set to demand around £10M for the 26-year-old, however, which is a huge chunk of Martin’s transfer budget which must be used wisely if they are to catch up with champions Celtic who ran away with the title last season.
Downes has made 66 appearances for Saints over two campaigns, captaining the team four times and could become a star player in Scotland if the move does progress forward. The Daily Echo report however that Southampton would not be willing to part ways with Downes, who signed a four-year deal until 2028 last year as he is an integral member of the squad who could help the side climb back to the Premier League next season.