Manchester City are considering making a potential move to sign Southampton forward Danny Ings in the summer, with the 28-year-old on their list of targets alongside Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, according to The Athletic.
Southampton are facing an uphill battle to ensure that they keep hold of Ings in the summer, with the forward’s current £75,000-a-week deal set to expire at the end of next season. The Saints have made no secret of their desire for him to sign a new contract which has been offered to him, but it has been reported that Ings wants to play Champions League football and therefore might not sign an extension at St Mary’s.
Tottenham have already been linked with a potential move for Ings in the summer, while West Ham have also been credited with an interest and they are still in the race for the top four at this stage of the season. Ralph Hasenhuttl has already suggested that, if the 28-year-old moves on, then it is something the Saints will simply have to absorb.
It has now emerged that Manchester City have come into the equation to further complicate matters surrounding Ings’ future. Pep Guardiola’s side are considering taking him to the Etihad Stadium as they prepare for a future without Sergio Aguero, whose long-term future with them is currently up in the air, as reported by The Athletic.
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It is starting to look like an increasingly sizeable task for the Saints to keep hold of Ings beyond the end of the season. The forward might still have another year left on his deal, but it would be a massive financial gamble for Southampton to keep hold of him if he has not committed to a new contract by the time the summer transfer window gets underway.
As Premier League leaders, Manchester City represents the most attractive prospect to have been credited with an interest in him so far, with Guardiola’s side in a commanding position to once again win the title. There could also be room for Ings to establish himself as a crucial member of their side, given the uncertainty around Aguero and Gabriel Jesus not being a regular starter this term.
It would be difficult for Ings to turn down a potential move to a club the size of Manchester City, with the wages they could offer and the potential to challenge for major silverware. The longer he stalls over the deal offered to him by the Saints, the more likely it seems that he will be leaving in the summer in what would be a huge blow for Hasenhuttl’s side, given that he is the club’s top scorer this term.
