Chelsea have reportedly identified Danny Ings as a potential alternative to Erling Haaland as the Southampton star hopes to take the next step in his career.
A recent report from Daily Mirror has offered an update on Chelsea’s pursuit of a new forward. It appears the newly crowned European champions are starting to realise the complications of prising Erling Haaland away from Borussia Dortmund this summer, due to the forward’s staggering valuation.
As a result, the Blues have set their sights on former Liverpool man Danny Ings as potential plan B, as Thomas Tuchel grows desperate to sign a new forward. The Southampton striker is tipped to depart St. Mary’s Stadium in the summer after rejecting a lucrative contract extension, with reports suggesting he is keen on joining a top club in the summer.
Ings has been largely linked with a move to Manchester United as an alternative for the ageing Edinson Cavani. However, Chelsea’s intention to sign the former Liverpool striker could complicate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans to bolster his goalscoring department.
Formerly of Burnley, Ings is highly rated in the Premier League due to his unprecedented success at Southampton. In just 100 competitive appearances, the forward has netted 46 goals, 22 of which came in the 2019/20 campaign that saw him emerge as one of Premier League’s top goalscorers alongside Jamie Vardy, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.
It remains to be seen how much Southampton demand for their services of ex-Liverpool striker, though, as interest from Chelsea emerges. His current contract at St. Mary’s expire at the end of next season, meaning the Saints may have to cut their losses.
That said, Ings is not the only striker being courted by Chelsea. Their top target is Haaland, who is reportedly keen on joining the Blues as well, although his price-tag appears to be a major problem for Roman Abramovich.
Other potential targets for Chelsea include Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Everton forward is younger than Ings, offering better prospect for the future. However, he is likely to cost a fortune given the success he has had this past season.
Either way, the Blues’ pursuit of a new forward may ultimately depend on how they manage to offload unwanted players. Tammy Abraham is already being linked with a switch to Aston Villa whereas Olivier Giroud is being courted by AC Milan.
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Giroud is bit of an anomaly, as the Frenchman did sign a contract extension earlier this summer. It suggests Tuchel is keen on holding on to his services for another season before Chelsea get the clearance to spend silly money on a star forward next summer. As for the pursuit of Ings, it remains to be seen if Chelsea do make a move for the former Liverpool forward.
