Steven Gerrard decisive, as Aston Villa reach Danny Ings decision amid Leeds, Man Utd links (original) (raw)

Steven Gerrard is behind the decision Aston Villa have taken on Danny Ings amid swirling speculation he could join either Man Utd or Leeds Utd, per a report.

Aston Villa have been the most active player in the transfer window thus far. Gerrard’s side, wasted little time in wrapping up deals for Philippe Coutinho, Diego Carlos, Robin Olsen and Boubacar Kamara.

The first three officially arrived when the window opened on June 10, while Kamara will walk through the doors on July 1 after his Marseille contract expires the day before.

On the exits end, Matt Targett has seen his loan spell with Newcastle turned permanent. However, a departure at the opposite end of the pitch has recently been speculated.

Indeed, 90min claimed Aston Villa were open to selling Danny Ings this summer.

The 29-year-old only bagged seven goals last season following his £25m arrival from Southampton. As such, the outlet claimed Gerrard was willing to sacrifice Ings if it meant the money could be reinvested in a new forward.

That led to wild speculation a move to Leeds or Man Utd could be on the cards. The Whites are seeking reliable competition for Patrick Bamford, while United are also on the hunt for a new centre-forward.

But with Darwin Nunez moving to Liverpool and other areas of their squad taking precedent, a cut-price move for a solid back-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in the form of Ings was touted.

Ings future decided

However, Sky Sports have clarified the situation and claim Aston Villa will not sell Ings this summer.

They reported Villa have ‘no intention’ of axing their striker despite acknowledging the Man Utd and Leeds links.

Manager Steven Gerrard is reportedly behind the decision. The outlet concluded he views Ings as an ‘integral’ part of his squad moving forward.

Gerrard correct to show faith in Danny Ings?

The striker did struggle under both Dean Smith and Gerrard last season. Getting the best out of both Ings and Ollie Watkins at the same time proved difficult for both managers.

Watkins can be deployed on the left. Though neither manager wished to shove the England international out of the more dangerous central areas.

While that meant Ings spent more time on the bench than he would’ve liked, that is far from the worst scenarios for Villa.

Ings has proven himself in the Premier League and represents a more than formidable option from the bench. What’s more, if Villa are to realise their European ambitions, excellent strength in depth will be required in the coming years.

Retaining a player of Ings’ calibre – even with his struggles last year – is a no-brainer for the Villans.