Liverpool will loan out Danny Ings, but will he move to Aston Villa in the Championship?
Any attempts from Aston Villa to lure Danny Ings to the Championship in January can be safely filed under the section marked ‘ambitious’.
According to the Birmingham Mail, a proven second-tier goalscorer is Steve Bruce’s priority during the January transfer window and Ings, whose 21 goals fired Burnley to promotion during 2013/14, certainly fits the bill.
Especially with Liverpool set to loan the striker out in 2018 after he spent over a year on the sidelines with a serious knee injury.
But are Villa already fighting a losing battle? Possibly, because TEAMtalk reported in October that Ings would not consider dropping below the Premier League.
He had apparently been informed by England boss Gareth Southgate that, if he stays and scores goals in the top flight during the second half of this season, Ings would put himself in contention for England’s World Cup squad.
The likes of Jay Bothroyd and Wilfried Zaha have played for England while starring in the Championship in recent years but they remain very much an anomalie. If it comes down to a straight fight between two Midland rivals, then, Villa would really be up against it trying to beat West Brom to Ings’ signature.
The Telegraph stated last week that new West Brom boss Alan Pardew wants more firepower in his side and has admitted his interest in Ings, a hard-working poacher who netted 11 Premier League goals for Burnley back in 2014/15 to earn that big break at Liverpool.
Ings also has further Premier League interest in the shape of both Newcastle United and West Ham, per The Guardian, the former in particular desperate for a new number nine. And the prospect of signing Ings on loan obviously appeals to a Newcastle side whose finances may be a little limited again come January.
And with Ings eyeing a seat on the plane to Russia, it appears unlikely that Villa would be his chosen destination.
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