“Have someone come into the team who is not expecting to play every week, Someone like Danny Ings”- Micah Richards suggests Aston Villa sign West Ham star as backup to Ollie Watkins in January
Micah Richards believes Aston Villa should be targeting a player such as West Ham outcast Danny Ings in the January transfer window.
Ings only arrived at London Stadium from Villa 10 months ago in an initial £12million deal rising to £15m with add-ons [Sky Sports].
However, Richards feels he is the type of back-up player that would be ideal for the Villans as they look to continue punching above their weight.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast [12 December, 16m 50s], Richards said: “Ivan Toney could be one, but he’d want to start every game.
“It’s difficult to play the system, then have someone come into the team who is not expecting to play every week. That’s why it’s difficult.
“Someone like Danny Ings, maybe not necessarily Danny Ings – maybe someone younger.”
West Ham purchased Ings from Villa for identical reasons earlier this year, but his time in East London has not exactly gone to plan.
The 31-year-old started just eight games in the second half of last season and only once so far this season.
On paper, Ings is ideally suited to being a back-up striker in that he knows how to find the net at this level but is not overly prolific.
At the same time, it is clear he is someone who needs minutes and momentum to thrive, which he is not getting at West Ham right now. While he was used 18 times by Villa in the first half of last season, the Villans are a different beast this campaign with Ollie Watkins in attack.
It may well be that Ings will have to join a team in the bottom half of the Premier League if he is to revive his career.
Right now, though, United cannot really consider a sale for purely selfish reasons unless they are able to bring in another striker.
With plenty of games coming up, it may well be that Ings finally gives his West Ham career lift-off to make that decision a little tougher.
