Southampton linked with three striker replacements after Danny Ings sale
By Marc Walker
Southampton shocked their fans yesterday when they announced the sale of Danny Ings to Aston Villa for a reported fee of £30m.
The striker’s departure leaves a lack of goals in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s line-up that will need to be replaced before August’s transfer deadline – even if the fee received is a good one considering Ings’ contract situation.
Comments from Hasenhuttl after yesterday’s friendly win over Levante suggest that the club will look for a new striker to fill this void but will also be targeting players in other positions. Defensive additions may be welcome, especially to add depth at full-back.
It is also important that no other key players depart the club this summer. A level of stability is required to keep things moving forward and members of the squad like James Ward-Prowse and Jannik Vestergaard are crucial.
As is normal, the rumours of a replacement started to swirl almost instantly and three strikers have been linked with a move to St Mary’s since the Ings transfer was confirmed.
Here is a look at the reports that have linked them and the players themselves: