Newcastle United are targeting a move for Liverpool’s Danny Ings as one of two new striker signings in the January transfer widndow, according to a Chronicle.
The newspaper claim that manager Rafael Benitez wants to add firepower to his team and will sanction a move for Ings, 25, irrespective of the takeover situation.
The Chronicle report that the manager’s meetings with the recruitment team have focused on players who could be brought in within the budget constraints and Ings fits the bill perfectly.
The one-time England international has made just 12 appearances for Liverpool since his £8million arrival from Burnley in the summer of 2015.
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. Ings showed last weekend when scoring four goals in Liverpool Under-23s’ demolition of Bristol City that he has not lost his scoring touch. 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 north-east giants would need to pay a significant portion of his wages to make it happen.
This Is Futbol rating: 6/10