Aston Villa have announced that they have signed Danny Ings from Southampton, with the former Liverpool forward signing a three-year deal.
Aston Villa have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Danny Ings. The former Liverpool forward has arrived from Southampton, putting pen to a three-year contract at Villa Park, becoming the fourth signing of the ongoing window for the Villans.
Danny Ings was nothing short of extraordinary for Southampton, having initially joined the Saints from Liverpool on loan in the summer of 2018. One year later, the south coast club chose to make his stay at St. Mary’s a permanent one, and it is at this point that he rolled back the years to his time at Burnley.
Over the course of his stay with Southampton, the 29-year-old managed a solid tally of 46 goals and 10 assists in 100 appearances. However, as the summer transfer window approached, it was quickly becoming clear that Ings could be on the exit trail at the club, although Aston Villa did not initially appear to be a viable destination for the former Liverpool forward.
Indeed, Ings was touted to be a target for some of the biggest clubs in the Premier League initially, with some suggestions pointing towards his desire to make his way to Manchester. However, none of the top clubs seem to have made a move for the English international, who has now joined Aston Villa.
? 100 Southampton games
⚽️ 46 goalsDanny Ings is a serious threat in front of goal! ?
Aston Villa are building a very exciting team for the new season… pic.twitter.com/LMQu09upo1
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 4, 2021
The Midlands club have been quite busy in the transfer market this summer, having signed Ashley Young, Emiliano Buendia and most recently, Leon Bailey. And Aston Villa had been keen on signing a striker as well in the ongoing window despite the presence of Ollie Watkins.
That is because Wesley has not been able to feature much, if at all, in recent times due to a horrific knee injury. As a result, Aston Villa have been in need of a new striker this summer, with Tammy Abraham among those who were heavily linked with them. However, it is former Liverpool forward Ings who has been eventually signed.
Following the announcement, manager Dean Smith spoke in glowing terms about Ings, saying, “Danny is an outstanding Premier League footballer who has scored goals wherever he has played. He is also a top professional with a great character who will be a leader in our squad and a role model for our rapidly developing young Academy players who are now in and around the first team. I am delighted to welcome Danny to our great Club.”
As a new phase of his career beckons Ings, it will be interesting to see if he can regain his peak form and help Aston Villa achieve some really lofty ambitions in the 2021/22 season. For now, the former Liverpool striker is set to begin life at Villa Park, having committed his next three years to the club.
