Tottenham Hotspur held a strong interest in signing Danny Ings from Southampton but refused to match his demands before he sealed a move to Aston Villa, per The Telegraph.
The Villans completed a £25m move for the England striker on Wednesday evening, that features £5m in add-ons. Dean Smith’s side completed negotiations with the Saints over the fee within a day in order for his arrival to be finalised before the sale of Jack Grealish.
Aston Villa first approached Southampton to discuss signing Ings on Sunday before he travelled to the West Midlands on Wednesday. The forward is now one of the Villans’ top earners on a three-year contract that carries a one-year extension option.
Tottenham were in the race to sign Ings from Southampton before the 29-year-old moved to Aston Villa. But Spurs chiefs refused to match the attacker’s financial demands, despite the club having a strong interest in his services.
Ings had also been angling for a move away from St Mary’s since January in order to join a Champions League side. He then entered the final year of his Saints contract this summer, but leaves the south coast for the West Midlands as the Villans look to move up the table.
The potential fourth-year in Ings’ Villa deal is performance-related and would take him until his 34th birthday. The three-cap international scored 12 goals in 29 Premier League games last season, after a career-best 22-goal return in 2019/20.
Only Harry Kane (23) and Heung-Min Son (17) scored more in the top-flight for Tottenham than Aston Villa new boy Ings netted for Southampton last term. Ollie Watkins was Smith’s top-scorer with 14 in 37 games during his maiden Premier League campaign.
Tottenham backed out of ‘outstanding’ striker deal with Ings joining Aston Villa
Tottenham’s refusal to match Ings’ demands and allow him to join Aston Villa cost Nuno Espirito Santo an outstanding striker. That’s the view of Smith, at least, who waxed lyrical over his new arrival after Villa announced the forward’s capture.
“Danny is an outstanding Premier League footballer, who has scored goals wherever he has played,” Smith told the Villa website. “He is also a top professional with a great character, who will be a leader in our squad and a role model for our rapidly developing young academy players. I am delighted to welcome Danny to our great club.”
With the doubt over Kane’s north London future, Tottenham may have done with a striker like Ings. He would have offered guaranteed goals, but Spurs held firm in their position. Paying £25m for a 2022 free agent on high wages was unacceptable, they seemingly felt.
Additionally, Eurosport claim Tottenham valued Ings at less than £20m, despite the now-Aston Villa striker being their top attacking target. The Telegraph also previously reported Nuno felt Ings could play alongside Kane if a deal with Southampton was possible.
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