TalkSPORT’s Alex Crook has recently reported that Southampton striker Danny Ings is holding out for a move to Manchester City this summer. Crook said,
“If a big team comes in for him and that hasn’t happened. I should stress that there hasn’t been a single enquiry.
“He’s got his sights set on Manchester United or Man City, I’m not sure either of those clubs are going to start banging on the door.”
Ings’s Fruitful Campaign At St. Mary’s Stadium
Ings enjoyed a productive season with the Saints but was guilty of missing some key games for them because of injury. The 28-year-old banged in 13 goals and provided four assists in 33 matches for Southampton in the previous campaign on all fronts.
The Winchester-born marksman deserves a pat on the back for averaging 2.0 shots, 0.8 key passes and 1.0 dribbles per game in Premier League football. However, he was a bit sloppy when linking up play with others around him after making 66.3% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Ings has just got a year left to run in his current contract at St. Mary’s Stadium, so Man City could potentially recruit him on a cut-price fee if they decided to make a move to acquire his services before the start of the new campaign.
Should Man City Move In For Ings This Summer?
When Ings is playing with confidence, he can be a clinical finisher in the final third. He has a knack for scoring some important goals for his side and can even create some decent plays for his teammates up top. Furthermore, the talented frontman can time his runs well in behind the opposition backline and can generate a yard of space for himself to get a few attempts in at goal. However, the Saints striker has had his fair share of injuries in recent seasons, which makes him a risky option for Man City to consider during this summer transfer window.
Ings can even be guilty of giving away the ball cheaply in the opposition half, so he might struggle to fit into Pep Guardiola’s brand of possession-based football at the Etihad Stadium. Still, at 28, the former Liverpool forward is currently playing at his prime and could add a lot of goals to Man City’s frontline if they can get him on board this summer.
Even then, Guardiola would be wise to opt for a more reliable striker like Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane or Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland rather than move in for an injury-prone striker like Ings in this off-season.
