Aston Villa have no intention of selling forward despite Manchester United links: Reports
Aston Villa have no plans to part ways with Danny Ings despite reports linking him with Manchester United, according to Sky Sports News.
Ings joined the Birmingham outfit from Southampton for a fee in the region of £26 million last summer. However, the striker struggled to hit the ground running at Villa Park, managing just seven goals from 30 Premier League appearances.
There has been suggestions that Aston Villa might be open to offers for the 29-year-old this summer. Manchester United are said to have been offered the chance to sign him ahead of the 2022-23 season.
Apart from the Red Devils, Leeds United have also been linked with a move for the centre-forward. However, those claims are wide of the mark, according to the aforementioned source.
Ings managed to make just 13 goal contributions from 31 appearances across all competitions for the Villans in the recently-concluded season. Steven Gerrard, though, still views him as an integral part of his squad, as per the report.
The Englishman always seemed to be an unlikely target for Manchester United due to his Liverpool connection. Ings plied his trade for the Anfield outfit for three years between 2015 and 2018.
The striker joined Southampton on an initial loan deal in the summer of 2018 and went on to make the move permanent for £20 million the following year. He scored 46 goals and provided 10 assists in 100 matches during his three-year stint with the Saints.
Would Aston Villa's Ings be a good addition for Manchester United?
Edinson Cavani will leave Manchester United when his contract expires this month. The Red Devils could thus be tempted to explore the market for a new striker, with Mason Greenwood also still away from the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who has one more year remaining on his contract with the Old Trafford outfit, is expected to lead the line for the team in the 2022-23 season. However, Erik ten Hag could entertain the idea of having a backup for the 37-year-old.
Ings, with his vast Premier League experience, could thus be a good addition for the Red Devils. Sky Sports News, though, have rubbished claims linking the Aston Villa striker with a move to Old Trafford.
It remains to be seen if Manchester United have other strikers on their transfer wishlist ahead of the summer. They have also been linked with a move for Bayern Munich superstar and Barcelona target Robert Lewandowski.