Danny Ings has rejected an offer of a new four-year contract from Southampton, according to David Ornstein of The Athletic.
Apparently, the offer was an extremely lucrative one; it would have seen the striker become the highest paid player in the history of Southampton. It was a product of negotiations which lasted several months and had the south-coast club feeling optimistic about keeping the man who scored 46 goals and produced 10 assists over three years at St. Mary’s. However, turning 29 later this month, Ings is still keen on testing himself at a higher level again and money doesn’t seem to come into it.
Ings played for Bournemouth, Dorchester and Burnley, before landing a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2015. He started well enough at Anfield, but he picked up an ACL injury during the first training session after Jurgen Klopp replaced Brendan Rodgers at the helm and he missed the remaining part of the season. It went from bad to worse as he picked up a similar problem in his other knee a few months after returning, and he missed a large part of the following season as well.
In the summer of 2018, he joined Southampton on a season-long loan which was made permanent a year later.
There is still time for Ings to change his mind of course, but as things stand at the moment, Southampton face a choice between selling their star striker now for whatever fee they get, and seriously risking the possibility of his departure for free in 2022. Tottenham Hotspur have already tried to sign him in the past. Manchester City are said to be interested too, as are Manchester United, though his Liverpool affiliations would likely deter him from a move to Old Trafford.
