[Daily Mail] Saints make formal enquiry to sign Danny Ings

Perhaps 12 years in age difference could be factor

And wages may also be a factor. It is total player cost.

Up till last season he wasn't much of a goalscorer at lower levels than the premiership. One good season by the looks of it. Which means it's a massive risk if we are going to rely on him alone as the main source of goals.

This is the sort of player we should be going for. Looked very impressive in the Championship last season, and I have no doubt he can make the step up. Plus he might actually be proud to wear the Southampton shirt. (And if he turns out to be a success I'm sure Les Reed will be more than happy to sort him a move to a top 6 club)

Up till last season he wasn't much of a goalscorer at lower levels than the premiership. One good season by the looks of it. Which means it's a massive risk if we are going to rely on him alone as the main source of goals.

To be fair. He's only just turned 22 and missed alot of the 2012/13 season with a serious knee injury.

He was the championship player of the season and id be delighted if he joined us.

Hes a Saints fan too

This is the sort of player we should be going for. Looked very impressive in the Championship last season, and I have no doubt he can make the step up. Plus he might actually be proud to wear the Southampton shirt. (And if he turns out to be a success I'm sure Les Reed will be more than happy to sort him a move to a top 6 club)

Yes, for playing in the CCC.

How soon aspirations change. Only a few days ago, people were thinking of Top Players, some in Europe, being signed by SFC

Now we drop our aspiration level to Ings. Good, yes, but unproven in the Prem, and next season in the Prem is going to be very very hard

Up till last season he wasn't much of a goalscorer at lower levels than the premiership. One good season by the looks of it. Which means it's a massive risk if we are going to rely on him alone as the main source of goals.

Why do you think we would rely on him as the main source of goals if the talk of Pelle coming in is true ? Surely Ings would be one of the three or four strikers we would look to have ?

To be fair. He's only just turned 22 and missed alot of the 2012/13 season with a serious knee injury.

 

He was the championship player of the season and id be delighted if he joined us.

 

Hes a Saints fan too

Agree:scared:

I don't know what people expect, prolific striker's at this level are hard to come by. Looking at the top scorers from last season, the only players in double figures from clubs below us are, unsurprisingly, Bony, Benteke and Remy. All top players, but all around the £20 million mark you would think. Unless of course we go for the next few on the list and get Kevin Nolan and Crouch in. Would much rather go for Ings, very much get the feeling his injury set him back a lot, his potential is huge

Don't forget that Guan hinted at >£10m signings joining us too so I would think Ings would be one of three or four (when jrod returns) strikers. As long as Bentner isn't one of them.

I am not sure he would fit into our system. Burnley play a traditional 442 with a little and large front line. We play one up front, would Danny Ings be able to play as a lone striker? He is a great worker and has scored an impressive amount of goals but I would be surprised if he was for us. Same goes for Jordan Rhodes who some on here bang on about. No way he could play as a lone striker, his movement is non existent.

Maybe we will go 2 up front.

Yes, for playing in the CCC.

 

How soon aspirations change. Only a few days ago, people were thinking of Top Players, some in Europe, being signed by SFC

 

Now we drop our aspiration level to Ings. Good, yes, but unproven in the Prem, and next season in the Prem is going to be very very hard

Doesn't come with proven prem goals but how many strikers could we realistically get who do?

Honestly the championship is a decent standard and players, as a general rule, tend to find it easier adapting then say their continental counterparts.

Ings has potential. Has shown he has an eye for goals. The fact he is a soton fan is a side-perk. If the scouting team do not honestly believe he could develop into a good premiership player I very much doubt we would bid.

I like him. I think he'd be a good first signing. Goalie and centre back next (plus Pelle)

There's plenty of good players in the Championship, I don't see it as lowering expectations.Don't get the obsession with having to buy players just from the top leagues

 

Now we drop our aspiration level to Ings. Good, yes, but unproven in the Prem, and next season in the Prem is going to be very very hard

So only current strikers from other PL clubs are OK for us then? As far as I recall, Lambert and Jrod were unproven in the PL before we got promoted. It's not necessarily about blowing loads of cash on 'proven' PL players (such as when Chelsea bought that proven PL goalscorer from Liverpool - Torres) it's about finding talent wherever they are and for me, Ings seems like a sensible buy for Koeman to improve and get the best out of.

Need to see some proper evidence of our interest like a definite offer before I get "excited" about Ings.

The fact is, there really aren't very many "proven" Premier League strikers. Ignoring van Persie, Aguero, Giroud etc... who are they? Well:

Lukaku - wants to join a club playing CL. Would cost a fortune and big wages.

Adebayor - as above and also a helmet.

Hernandez - is he proven? As a main striker I'm not convinced.

Welbeck - not exactly proven in terms of goals. Probably wouldn't want to leave United.

Remy - good player, potentially a candidate but would probably want a very hefty wage.

Cisse - one good season, one not so good. Proven?

Crouch - good player and could add to squad but wouldn't be an inspiring signing.

Benteke - probably the best shout yet but is very hit and miss. He's certainly not a proven consistent scorer and would cost more than Pelle and Ings combined.

Bony - looks good but does one season mean he's proven? In any case he probably sees his next move as being to a top club.

Anyone else? Carroll? Odemwingie? Wickham?

The idea that there's a feasible pool of proven Premier League strikers to pick from is not accurate. If we sign Ings and another more experienced striker to supplement Gallagher and Jay Rod I'd be happy with that.

Oh come on. There are loads.

Darren Bent, Grant Holt, Craig Bellamy, Kenwyne Jones, Bobby Zamora, Kevin Phillips, Andy Johnson, Nicolas Anelka....

Wilfried Bony would be the marquee striker signing from the 'proven' list above. Imagine Swansea would command quite a hefty fee for him as well.

Bony publicly said he would only move to a top 6 team, which we aren't.

There's plenty of good players in the Championship, I don't see it as lowering expectations.Don't get the obsession with having to buy players just from the top leagues

Agree. Look at our (old) team. Mostly L1

Season Appearences Goals

11/12 15 3

12/13 32 3

13/14 40 21

Had his injury problems and that doesn't show if sub appearance or not. But bit of a gamble considering hes had one good year, admittedly his latest one.

Bony publicly said he would only move to a top 6 team, which we aren't.

True, but footballers say all sorts of crap publicly.

Exactly we will be quids in when we sell him to Liverpool for three times as much in a couple of seasons time.

I was about to say exactly that. The dippers will need a replacement for Lambert right around then.