View: Aston Villa are taking a risk selling Danny Ings to West Ham
Danny Ings is reportedly closing in on a move to West Ham United with Unai Emery seemingly happy to let the Aston Villa striker depart the club.
There are clearly some questions which need to be answered when it comes to Ings’ departure from the West Midlands with the 30-year-old currently the club’s top goalscorer.
Aston Villa simply have to sign a new striker in the remaining days of the transfer window or face heavy criticism from large swathes of the fan base. Sky Sports have suggested (19 January) a deal worth £15million has been concluded between the two clubs.
On the face of it, it’s clever business from the Villans and it could allow Emery to land a younger striker of his choice later on in the window. Although there are certainly some big shoes to fill. Ings has scored goals everywhere he has gone and he could go on to be invaluable for West Ham in their fight against relegation.
So what exactly are Aston Villa going to miss when Ings does seal his departure to the Hammers?
Ings is easily the most clinical finisher at Villa Park and it’s certainly a risk to leave the Villans’ goalscoring hopes on the shoulders of Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia for the time being.
As per Wyscout, Ings’ expected goals per 90 minutes (0.49) ranks in the top 15 in the Premier League and demonstrate he has been a constant threat for Villa whenever he has been given the chance. Natural finishers such as Ings are hard to come by and it’s up to Emery to pinpoint a player who will be able to come in and make a similar impact.
Watkins’ overall expected goals are currently higher than Ings (6.03), however, the 27-year-old is currently underperforming with only three goals to his name thus far. Now that Ings is on his way out of the club, it’s crucial Watkins becomes more clinical in front of goal. The recent loss against Liverpool was yet another example of the former Brentford man passing up far too many chances.
Furthermore, Ings shooting statistics are amongst the best in the Premier League despite his age. At present Ings ranks in the top 20 for shots per 90 minutes (2.4) and is currently third when it comes to accuracy (56 per cent). Essentially, he’s a constant threat and when he’s given the chance he hits the target more often than not. For West Ham, he’s exactly what they need in their current plight, with David Moyes’ side struggling for goals.
In close matches, having a reliable striker can be the difference and often put a team on the right side of the fine margins which are required to win Premier League matches. Emery could well be looking to add a more mobile physical presence to his forward line, yet he must ensure the player he signs has a goalscoring pedigree which is reminiscent of Ings.
With 12 days left of the January window, it promises to be intriguing to see who Emery looks to add to replace Ings.
In other Aston Villa news, this one first-team player could quickly become a fan-favourite after his brilliant performance against Leeds in the Premier League.