Liverpool have been pretty active in the transfer window signing players for more than £100 million combined. However, the Reds are also looking to sell a few names and one of them is Danny Ings.
Recent reports claim Ings is wanted by Crystal Palace as they look to beef up their attack after a relegation scrap last season. Not so long ago, the Eagles signed Christian Benteke for a club record fee from Liverpool and will have to pay £20 million to sign Ings.
Ings has been really unlucky after making a move to Liverpool from Burnley a few years ago as a succession of long-term injuries have set him back. Every time he managed to get a few minutes under his belt or do well in pre-season, he was hit by an injury.
He missed as many as 50 games owing to a cruciate Ligament rupture in 2015. After returning from that, he had to undergo a knee surgery that further led to him missing 35 games.
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Last season, he managed to make just eight appearances, of which three were starts. He scored once but just didn’t have the sustained run of games to strike a chord with his teammates.
Ings’ best season in the Premier League came with Burnley when he managed to score 11 goals in 35 games. His goals weren’t enough for the Clarets as they went down, but his impressive performances earned him a move to Liverpool in the subsequent transfer window.
What will Danny Ings add to Crystal Palace?
Unlike Benteke, Ings isn’t a real target man. He is a forward who likes running at the defence because he is pretty good on the ball. Benteke is perhaps a better player in terms of holding up the play.
Ings is a better dribbler and can often be seen falling deep to help in off the ball defensive work. He is equally good at getting the ball from his own half and could be a much more potent player to have on the counter.
Ings will bring a little bit of versatility as well. Because of his quality on the ball, he can be deployed on either wing, so if Palace are short on numbers, they can rely on Ings to get the job done, be it temporarily.
A fee of £20 million seems a bit steep for a player who hasn’t played regularly in a couple of years. But considering Ings is still only 26, he could be a risk worth taking.