Transfer News: Tottenham dealt blow in pursuit of Danny Ings

According to the Evening Standard, Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Danny Ings, with Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl insisting that the striker is not for sale.

Having joined the Saints in 2018 from Liverpool, the striker has left all his injury woes behind and turned into a top striker in the Premier League, bagging 37 goals in 64 top-flight outings with the club.

The 28-year-old Ings has been heavily linked with a move to Tottenham of late as he enters the final year of his contract with Southampton. In fact, the England international has rejected a new four-year contract offered by the South Coast club, following which the interest from Tottenham has further resurfaced. (h/t Evening Standard)

Danny Ings’ contract expires in 2022 (GETTY Images)

Southampton stand firm on stance

However, manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has claimed that Ings will not be sold this summer, even though he admits that the situation is far from ideal.

“He’s our player for another year, we paid a lot of money for him. When we brought him here, we invested a lot to get him to the highest level and how he is at the moment. We stuck with him with all these injuries he had, gave him the time to recover, gave him the time to perform.

“There’s no reason to sell him, but it’s always a risk for the player when you go into your final year without a contract. That’s why it’s never good for nobody, not for us, not for him, because you never know what can happen in football – injuries can happen, which nobody wants.

Southampton manager dismisses Ings exit speculations (Getty Images)

“He’s our player and we’d love him to be here, but one thing is also clear – when he is not extending his contract, that it is not a perfect situation for him, it’s not a perfect situation for us.”

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A well-established, proven Premier League striker Ings would be a solid addition to the Tottenham squad, irrespective of whether Harry Kane stays put or leaves. However, with Southampton not relenting on their stance, a move might not come to fruition this summer.

In addition, the report also claims that the Saints are reluctant to do business with Tottenham after having a bad experience with regard to the transfer of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg last summer. All in all, as things stand, a move for Ings looks difficult.