There has been much speculation this summer over the future of West Ham winger Stewart Downing and now the Swans have been linked with a move for the player who looks set for a transfer away from Upton Park.

We are not alone in the link though with Leicester, Sunderland, Stoke and Newcastle being linked in the Premier League and Middlesbrough in the Championship.

The Northern Echo though are predicting that it will be a return to the Riverside Stadium and a drop to the Championship for Downing as Middlesbrough have targeted him to be one of the men to help fire them back to the Premier League.

The paper also goes as far as to suggest a deal could be completed before Boro return to pre-season training next Monday.

West Ham are believed to be asking around £7m for the wide man who had an excellent season last time around and that for me is something that suggests the Swans interest is nothing other than paper talk

Downing is a graduate of the Middlesbrough academy and during his first stint with the club made 234 appearances, netting 22 times.

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