Danny Ings

[THFCSPURS19]

Danny Ings is Tottenham's top transfer target - to play alongside Harry Kane

Nuno is understood to want to switch Spurs' style to a two-man attack with a Premier League-ready goalscorer alongside the England captain

www.telegraph.co.uk

Danny Ings is Tottenham's top transfer target — to play alongside Harry Kane
Nuno is understood to want to switch Spurs' style to a two-man attack with a Premier League-ready goalscorer alongside the England captain

Tottenham Hotspur have made Southampton striker Danny Ings their priority signing this summer with a firm belief that he can play in attack alongside Harry Kane, whom they remain determined to keep at the club.

Recruitment meetings that have followed the appointment of new manager Nuno Espirito Santo, as well as new managing director Fabio Paratici, have recommended Spurs pursue a pre-existing interest in Ings. He is a player whom chairman Daniel Levy has tried to sign in the past, most notably when Ings became a free agent in 2015 at Burnley, eventually joining Liverpool.

The England international, who turns 29 this month, has made it clear to Southampton that he will not sign the four-year deal currently on offer and the consensus is that he will not be permitted to move into the final years of his current Saints deal. He would be worth around £20 million in the current market, given his age and contractual status.

Nuno is understood to want to switch Spurs’ style to a two-man attack with a Premier League-ready goalscorer alongside the England captain. He already has Heung-min Son, with whom the club hope to finalise a new deal soon. The squad’s profile needs greater options in attack. Brazilian striker Carlos Vinicius failed to make an impression on loan last season and will not return.

Ings, who narrowly missed out on the 30-man provisional England squad for the European Championship, is a tempting prospect for a number of clubs. Manchester United inquired about him in January last year and there was also interest last season from champions Manchester City.

He scored 13 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions last season, including 12 in the league for a side that finished 15th - contributing more than a quarter of all league goals Southampton scored.

Saints have made their first major signing of the window - Romain Perraud, a left-back from French Ligue 1 side Brest. Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong is another the club have reportedly shown an interest in signing.

 

[Guntz]

Yes please, him and Kane upfront would be lethal.

Would love to see us try out a good old-fashioned 4-4-2 - just like how Nuno played at Valencia:

Kane----Ings

Son------PEH--------Ndombele----Bergwijn/Lo Celso​

 

[kd2000]

Both Kane and Ings have at times had injury issues.
If they can time it so that between them we are covered for the full season that would be amazing

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

I think Ings is a better target for City than even Kane. Ings will fit in with Pep's attacking style, which is already in place.


And if Soton were really not wanting to deal with us for Vestergaard, can't see them offering any kind of deal for Ings.

 

[yankspurs]

I’ll say City here. Makes sense for them.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Would love this. Get Ings in, sign the long-term replacement to Kane next summer when we likely have to sell him. Ings then let’s the new, hopefully heir to the striker position, get brought along slowly in 2022/2023.

Obviously, This is all well and good in theory, but with some luck it may just work out and hopefully not go in the direction of the Jimenez/Fabio Silva scenario for Wolves last season.

 

[bbunc]

Son is not a 442 winger. I think Ings makes a lot of sense, but it will take some creativity to figure out how best to fit all the pieces together.

 

[jpascavitz]

Over the last two seasons Ings has missed 7 matches while during that same time Kane has missed 21 due to injury.

If he's the target I hope we get him in and sell him on the project. Everything would align in terms of our playing style and I'd be even more convinced that we'll play 4atb with either side scenario making sense:

1. In possession Regulion pushes high and wide on the left, allowing Ings to tuck inside as another forward. Son may be moved to the right hand side to provide width while Tomiyasu(if signed)/Tanganga tuck inside as a back 3.

2. Flip it, Doherty pushes high and wide on the right allowing Ings to tuck inside as the forward there. Son keeps his spot on the left and can keep some width there.

Kane could also easily drop in as seen last season in a 10 role when we have posession. The signing would give us a lot more options to remain dangerous. Maybe Ings doesn't play every game either and allows healthy rotation between Kane and him.

 

[Guntz]

I’ll say City here. Makes sense for them.

I agree he would suit them, but I don’t think he’s flashy enough for them tbh.

 

[cliff jones]

This would be a good idea, assuming no Bale return we are badly dependent on just two players for goals- for all their talent and rare displays of brilliance, no other forwards in the squad are going to contribute meaningfully

Son would rotate with Kane and Ings ensuring they all get a rest

Ideally I’d also like Sabitzer who has a decent scoring rate but I think CBs and an RB should be the priority if we have a linited budget/fail to shift the dead wood- which we can all see happening

 

[snakehipsspurs]

A front three of Son, Kane and Ings would combine two great pressers, incredible movement and deadly finishing. I think it would be amazing to watch and to top it all off, he’s homegrown. Yes bloody please!

 

[Jamturk]

It will make selling Harry next season easier.

 

[walworthyid]

Can't see it. But he is an excellent striker.

 

[Wig]

Son is not a 442 winger. I think Ings makes a lot of sense, but it will take some creativity to figure out how best to fit all the pieces together.

It would be nice to have some options to rotate, so that we don't feel Son and Kane have to play every single game. You could have 2 up front with a combination of any of Son, Kane, Ings. Or you could have a front 3 playing all of them, as we know Kane likes to drop deep to receive the ball.

 

[Tucker]

Should have been in the England squad, he’s a very good player. Would do well here I think.

 

[wiggo24]

Hugely underrated, a better player than Watkins, DCL and Bamford in my opinion - and should have been in the England squad.

If we can get him for £15/20m then I'm all for this. Solves the back-up issue with proven quality at a good price, he's homegrown, and he's technically versatile enough to play as a lone striker or alongside Kane.

If we sell Kane next summer then hopefully we'll be back in the top 6 and will have £60m or whatever to spend on the best young striker we can get (Vlahovic, Isak etc). Then bed that young player in alongside Ings.

 

[Joshua]

No brainier. Would guarantee 15-20 goals across all comps (depending on fitness) and is home grown and proven. Good enough to be our no.1 striker whilst we search for a younger alternative if Kane is to go next year as well. Fingers crossed for this one.

 

[Steffen]

Southampton fans hate us, don't they?

 

[spursfan77]

£20 million seems a lot with his contract only having 12 months left. But he’d be a sensible purchase.

I have said a few times that I reckon he will be on his way to City though, when we don’t sell them Kane.

 

[dontcallme]

Think he'd be a very good signing but think he's City bound.