"He ticks all the boxes for us."
Russell Martin was evidently delighted when Swansea City clinched the signing of Flynn Downes on August 10 last year. And it's fair to say the midfielder hasn't merely been ticking boxes.
From day one, head coach Martin discussed the requirement to create assets, and in the space of just one year, or 340 days to be more precise, he has done that emphatically.
"I spoke to the gaffer, obviously it's a massive club so you can't turn that down anyway, I know Gilly [Matt Gill] already and I like the way they come across, the plans they've got, it all just added up to me wanting to come here the most," Downes said last year when asked about turning down offers from elsewhere to move to Swansea.
His faith in the Swans' coaches has been rewarded emphatically. Such have been Downes' efforts during the 2021/22 campaign, he is now poised to be sold to West Ham for around seven to eight times more than the £1.4m Swansea stumped up to take the midfield man from Ipswich Town to south Wales 11 months ago.
The same situation has regularly unfolded at Martin's former club MK Dons who have sold players including Scott Twine along with Swans duo Andy Fisher and Harry Darling for decent profits of late.
Following the retirement of club legend Mark Noble, the Hammers were eager to bolster their midfield options this summer, and Downes - who had appeared destined to secure a move to Crystal Palace just a few days ago - is now set to get the chance to play at the highest level with the club he supports.
A source at Fairwood told WalesOnline early on in Downes' first season at Swansea that the central midfielder was destined to play in the Premier League and to feature for England's senior side, so, in that regard, at least one additional box is close to being ticked, and you'd be unlikely to find many who would bet against the second being achieved either.
His personal timeline tells the story in all its glory. On May 9, 2021, Downes played for Ipswich Town against Fleetwood Town in League One, but come August 2022, he could be playing Premier League football with his boyhood club. It represents an astonishing rise for the 23-year-old who is now set to turn out in front of close to 60,000 fans on a regular basis at the London Stadium.
He is due to finalise a medical with David Moyes' side today (Thursday), meaning confirmation of his exit from the Swansea.com Stadium should be made in the coming days. Crucially, it will be three weeks before the Championship opener at Rotherham United which gives Russell Martin, head of football operations Josh Marsh and chief executive Julian Winter ample time to get other deals over the line prior to the trip to Yorkshire which is in stark contrast to the club's situation during sagas of the past such as Gylfi Sigurdsson's exit to Everton in 2017.
Downes' departure no doubt represents a significant blow for Swansea given his prominent role within Martin's set-up, although, with interest always expected, the coaching staff have long had contingency plans in place in the event that any of their key stars moved on this summer.
A star name on their list was a certain Mr Joe Allen who is now a free agent (another was Harry Darling who has already been signed). It is hoped that Downes' exit will pave the way for the 32-year-old to return to the club where he started his career.
Allen is keen to hit the ground running given that there are little more than three weeks to go until the new season gets underway, but the Welshman still has numerous offers and interest from sides in the Championship and abroad, so the Swans will need to act swiftly to finalise details of a deal for Allen once Downes' exit is officially confirmed.
He has already rejected a new deal at Stoke City this summer and is thought to be eager to return to Swansea, as exclusively reported by WalesOnline in May.
Downes will undoubtedly leave with the best wishes of the Jack Army while Allen would be welcomed back with open arms should the transfer go through. The business serves as clear proof that Martin is more than capable of fulfilling the remit given to him by the club's owners while, as far as matters on the pitch are concerned, the timing is crucial in ensuring the changes do not throw another spanner in the works as seen in years gone by.
Credit where it is due, this represents smart business from all at Swansea, not least because it means the club are far better placed to keep other stars like Joel Piroe and Michael Obafemi in south Wales.
READ NEXT:
