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Southampton: Hasenhuttl responds perfectly to questions on Ings’ future

By Marc Walker

Southampton's Austrian manager Ralph Hasenhuttl (L) walks off the pitch with Southampton's English striker Danny Ings (C) during the English Premier League football match between Watford and Southampton at Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, north of London on June 28, 2020. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Southampton's Austrian manager Ralph Hasenhuttl (L) walks off the pitch with Southampton's English striker Danny Ings (C) during the English Premier League football match between Watford and Southampton at Vicarage Road Stadium in Watford, north of London on June 28, 2020. (Photo by Richard Heathcote / POOL / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by RICHARD HEATHCOTE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl would have been expecting a question or two on the future of Danny Ings as he spoke to the media on Tuesday evening.

A report claiming that Ings was delaying a decision on his new contract in a bid to move to a Champions League club broke whilst Saints were taking on Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup Third-Round.

Questions on the subject duly arrived part-way through his post-match press conference and, it’s fair to say, his positive response was perfect in the circumstances as he said:

"“If he wants Champions League football, he must score 10-15 more goals for us this season and then we have a chance to go there. Not impossible, I think.”"

Top four clubs were linked with Ings by the Telegraph

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Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool were all mentioned in the report that broke yesterday and may be on the lookout for another striker in the summer transfer window.

However, Ings and his representatives will be deciding where the England international will fit best if he was to move on. With everything “agreed” on his Saints deal too, there is still a good chance he will remain at St Mary’s too.

Hasenhuttl’s comments also show that he is keen for his main man to stay and is upbeat about what may happen later down the line.

What is clear is that Saints will not be letting Ings go in this January window and they will be looking to him for vital contributions, in terms of goals and high-quality performances, between now and the end of the season.

His current contract at St Mary’s is set to expire in June 2022 and the club will be looking for a resolution to this situation, however that comes.

He seems the perfect fit for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s football and has really found a home on the South Coast. To date, he has scored 40 goals in 81 games for Saints and has gone some way to paying off the £20m they paid to sign from Liverpool.

Importantly, his main injury problems look to be behind him and, at 28, he is enjoying the best years of his career to date.

Youngsters impress as Saints beat Shrewsbury in FA Cup. dark. Next

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