Jurgen Klopp resisted the temptation to let Danny Ings go in the off-season but, in hindsight, will the decision come back to bite both player and manager.
Jurgen Klopp watched from the stands as Danny Ings edged closer to full fitness by scoring for Liverpool’s Under-23 on Sunday evening – but does he really have a first-team future at Anfield?
The 24-year-old has featured only once in the Premier League under the former Borussia Dortmund coach, the final half hour of a 1-1 draw with West Brom in May, after suffering a serious cruciate ligament injury just weeks after arriving at Anfield last summer.
Rumours circulated late in the transfer window that Klopp was ready to let Ings depart on loan to build up his match fitness but, according to the Mirror, a number of Premier League clubs, including Sunderland, were rebuffed in their attempts to sign the former Burnley striker on a temporary deal.
This, and Klopp’s presence in the stands as Liverpool’s reserves swept aside Leicester’s youngsters 4-0 on Sunday, suggests the German still views Ings as a key part of his plans in the coming months.
Yet, the question is not so much ‘why?’ more ‘how’?
Yes, Ings possesses the endeavour, movement and work-rate Klopp considers a prerequisite in each and every attacking player at his disposal. So to, however, does Divock Origi. The young Belgian is also quicker, stronger, and proved himself on both domestic and European stages in a striking purple patch at the end of last season.
Daniel Sturridge, meanwhile, made public his desire to be a centre-forward and nothing else earlier in the season after years spent stuck out on the wing. Klopp agreed. Sturridge is a striker.
And, if Liverpool’s stunning 4-1 hammering of Leicester City on Saturday proved anything, it’s that Sturridge’s intuitive link-play and elusive movement makes him the perfect fit for a flitting forward role at Anfield.
And then there’s Roberto Firmino; Liverpool’s top Premier League goalscorer last season, a man who appears to improve by game in his new false nine role. Sadio Mane, too, has shown a tendency to run beyond the central striker at both Liverpool and Southampton, becoming a de facto centre-forward himself on occasion.
The bountiful and diverse options at Klopp’s disposal certainly raises doubts about Ings ability to make his mark on a team that appears to be settling so fluidly in his absence. Throw the lack of Europa League football into the mix, and suddenly Ings’ first-team chances appear smaller still.
If Klopp says he wants Ings to be part of his plans, then he isn’t lying. It’s just that circumstance may take this decision away from him in the long-term.
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