Raghavendra Goudar
Southampton star Danny Ings prefers summer move to Manchester United
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), Danny Ings would be open to a summer move to Manchester United, amidst a contract stalemate with Southampton.
The 28-year-old has been with the Saints since 2018, having joined from Liverpool, initially on loan, before making the transfer permanent the following year.
Having endured a difficult, injury-riddled time at Anfield, Ings has found his goalscoring touch back at St. Mary’s. He finished the last season with 25 goals in all competitions and has already netted seven goals in thirteen league games in the 2020/21 campaign. (h/t Transfermarkt)
Ings’ current contract with Southampton expires in the summer of 2022, meaning he will be entering the final year of his deal at the end of the season. Negotiations over a new deal have taken place but an agreement is yet to be arrived at.
Quizzed on the status of the talks, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was quite coy in his response.
“I hope that we find an agreement and finally he stays with us. If not, life will go on, and this club will also exist and, hopefully, we can find a way that we can both live with.”
This has sparked speculations over his future. The Daily Telegraph (h/t The Athletic) claims that Ings is aware that he will lose a chance to play for a Champions League club such as Manchester United and Manchester City if he pens a new contract with the Saints as the clubs might not pay what Southampton demand as a transfer fee.
This has led to the possibility of Southampton, reluctantly, including a release clause in his new contract. Although, the two parties are still some way apart over the valuation of the said clause.
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Should an agreement not be reached, Manchester United would be the preferred destination for Ings, as per The Athletic.
Edinson Cavani has done well since coming in last summer. However, he is, at best, a short-term solution. So someone like Ings, who has found his best form again, would be an interesting addition to our squad.
