Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy is backing Southampton’s pursuit of Aston Villa striker Danny Ings and Dinamo Zagreb forward Mislav Orsic, speaking to talkSPORT (4 January, 12pm).
It is nearly 18 months since Ings swapped the South Coast for Villa Park in a deal worth £25 million.
And, with neither Che Adams, Adam Armstrong nor Sekou Mara offering enough of a goalscoring threat in the final third in his absence, Southampton may be tempted to go back to an old flame as the threat of relegation looms large over Nathan Jones and co.
Ings, talkSPORT say, is available for transfer this month as Unai Emery looks to put his own stamp in a resurgent Aston Villa side. The England international played the best football of his career at Southampton. In just 100 games, he scored 46 goals.
They do say you should ‘never go back’. But Ings may be tempted to do just that as he falls out of favour under the former Arsenal and PSG boss.
Southampton target Aston Villa’s Danny Ings and Croatia ace Mislav Orsic
Ings is not the only forward on Jones’ radar either. According to Sportkse Novosti, Southampton are ‘close’ to making Croatia international Mislav Orsic their first new signing since hiring the former Luton Town boss as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s replacement.
“He can score a goal,” Murphy says of Orsic. “He’s not the most mobile. But he’ll score you a goal.
“(And) Danny Ings would be sensible. He’s already got an affinity with the club.”
Southampton have found the net just 15 times in the Premier League this term. Orsic’s nose for goal, then, is likely to come in very handy. At his most effective cutting in from the left, Orsic has scored 91 times for Dinamo Zagreb. 20 of those came just last season.
According to 24Sata, Everton could look to hi-jack Southampton’s pursuit of the World Cup semi-finalist following Tuesday’s humiliaiting 4-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion. A result which reportedly leaves Frank Lampard on the brink.
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