Newcastle United made a summer swoop for Liverpool forward Danny Ings, according to the Times.
The newspaper claim in an interview with the one-time England international that he had loan offers in August from a number of clubs, including Newcastle and Bournemouth.
Ings, 25, rejected opportunities to leave Anfield, but has subsequently made just one senior appearance – as a second-half substitute in the League Cup – for Jurgen Klopp’s side this season.
Good move for Newcastle?
Yes, definitely. Ings has an impressive scoring record and was one of the most in-demand strikers in the country before quitting Burnley, where he scored 43 times in 130 matches. His Liverpool career has not got going due to injury and horrible luck but he is still young enough and, crucially, good enough to make a big impact in the Premier League. Joining Newcastle in January would enable him to play regularly and rediscover his mojo. He would be an upgrade on the current striker options available to Rafael Benitez such as Joseulu, Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic. It is a move that could suit both parties to a tee.
This Is Futbol rating: 8/10
Likely to happen?
Ings is contracted to Liverpool until 2020 and it has been reported that he could be allowed to leave on loan in January in order to build up his fitness and play first-team football. He is behind Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and Dominic Solanke in the striker pecking order at Anfield but Newcastle would need to fight off considerable competition to persuade Ings, as well as negotiating a deal that suits Liverpool. The Daily Star report that Ings’ current deal is worth £60,000-a-week, and the Yorkshire giants would need to pay a significant portion of his wages to make it happen.
This Is Futbol rating: 6/10