TalkSport insider Alex Crook has dropped a worrying claim about the future of Southampton forward Danny Ings amid reports he could leave this summer.
The 28-year-old has been a transfer target for a number of clubs this summer, which isn’t surprising given that his current contract runs out next year, putting Southampton in a position of having to sell him now or risk losing him for free in 2022.
Recent claims from head coach Ralph Hasenhuttl do, however, seem to suggest that they aren’t going to be moving him on this window.
West Ham United and Aston Villa are just two of the clubs that have shown an interest, but there have also been claims suggesting that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United are keen on bringing him to their clubs, and it’s those last two that could be causing Southampton a bit of a problem.
Speaking on TalkSport, Crook seemed to hint that Ings is holding out for a move to a ‘big club’ this summer, but despite their reported interest, they haven’t come in with an official bid for him:
“If a big club comes in for him – and that hasn’t happened so far, I should stress that, there has still been not a single enquiry. He’s got his sights set on Manchester United or Manchester City. I’m not sure either of those two clubs are going to start banging on the door.”
TIF Thoughts on Alex Crook’s comments about Danny Ings’ future…
Should Danny Ings leave this summer?
Yes
No
Glossing over the hint that West Ham United and Aston Villa are not ‘big clubs’ in this discussion, Ings is putting Southampton in a rather bad position here by essentially dictating the clubs that he is willing to go to, meaning the Saints have to wait for them to put in a bid.
And even if West Ham and Aston Villa are breaking down the door in order to try and bring him to their club, it sounds as if he’s going to be turning down any of their approaches and it could end up costing Southampton dearly financially.
It’s clear that Ings wants to leave the club, and whilst Southampton may maintain that they don’t want to sell him, the financial windfall that they could miss out on if they don’t sell him could be critical, so it is perhaps in their interest to try and get the bigger clubs to make a move.
If they don’t, then they’ve done all they can, but they can’t just sit back and let a valuable asset effectively hold them to ransom over his and their future.
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