Southampton: Saints begin contract negotiations with their star man

Southampton have reportedly begun contract negotiations with their star striker Danny Ings in a bid to tie him down to the club.

According to a report from Sky Sports, Saints are keen to secure the 28-year-old to a long-term deal, which could ensure that any potential transfer talk does not unsettle the former Liverpool man.

Ings’ goalscoring form during the 2019/20 season was something that Saints fans have not seen from one of their players for a long time.

In all, he scored 25 times in all competitions and was up near top of the Premier League top scorers list after claiming 22 of his goals in league fixtures.

Some eyebrows were raised when Saints committed to spending £20m to bring Ings to St Mary’s on a permanent deal last summer but that fee will become more and more respectable if he continues finding the net at the same rate.

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Given that Saints now have a player who has proven himself to be one of the most lethal finishers in the top-flight, the eyes of other clubs will be on Ings and they will be trying to sense any potential opportunity to prise him away from the South Coast.

No concrete interest has been seen in him so far and it appears that the club are acting quickly to prevent this happening for a long time or indeed to give them the upper hand in any negotiations.

Saints may have many things in their favour in this situation too.

Other key players and manager Ralph Hasenhuttl have all committed to the ongoing project at St Mary’s and this will improve the chances of Ings sticking around.

The player will also be thankful to the club for helping to get his career back on track – his progress since terrible injuries at Liverpool has been highlighted recently by his return to the England squad.

Ings also grew up in the South, is close to family after making the move to Saints and has said in the past that he was a Saints fan when he was younger.

All these things will have a say in any decisions to come in the future, but a new and improved deal could be the thing to really make Ings a Saints player for the next few years.

As he approaches 30, his next contract will potentially see him giving the rest of his prime years to is chosen team.