Southampton manager Mark Hughes has been expressing his delight regarding the signing of Danny Ings from Liverpool.
The Saints have completed a last-minute transfer involving Ings on the final day of the transfer window, with the player joining the club on an initial loan deal that will be made permanent next summer.
Ings arrives from Anfield on a season-long loan to begin with and will then pen a three-year deal at St Mary’s next summer. The striker is believed to be set to join for a fee worth £16 million ahead of the 2018/19 season.
Hughes, who previously had only three senior options available to him in the striking positions, has been speaking about the signing of Ings to the club’s official website.
There was significant competition for Danny, with a lot of clubs keen to complete a deal for him, so we’re clearly delighted that he chose to join us. We have admired him for some time now, not only for his ability but also his character and personality, which we feel will be an ideal fit in our dressing room.
Ings has struggled in the last few years with major injury problems but has enjoyed a strong pre-season with Liverpool and will hope to hit the ground running with his boyhood club.
He’s obviously a local boy, who gives us another excellent option up front. He didn’t get to play as much as he would have liked at Liverpool, but he has been injury-free for some time now and has a real point to prove.
It’s a great boost for us on the eve of the season to bring another quality player into the squad, and we’re excited about what he can bring to the group.
