OPINION
Newcastle United should be thankful that they’re not in contention to sign Liverpool forward Danny Ings as he looks way too costly of a risk to take.
The Magpies have continually been linked to making a move for the 26-year-old forward and have been reported as pursuing ways to sign the attacker without matching his price-tag.
TEAMtalk reported that Rafa Benitez’s side were attempting to take Ings on loan, with a view to a permanent deal at a later date, as they can’t get anywhere near to matching his £20million price tag.
However it seems as far as the reliable Liverpool Echo are concerned, Crystal Palace and Southampton are Ings’ possible destinations with the Magpies not in contention to sign the forward before the transfer window shuts.
The regional newspaper claimed that the Reds are confident that a club will match their huge valuation of Ings so it seems very likely that the Magpies do indeed have no chance of beating their competition in order to be successful in their pursuit of the forward.
While the 26-year-old has Premier League experience, having played 49 times in England’s top-flight, and has previously shown that he is a capable attacker in the division, his injury record means he is a risk to sign.
Ings has only managed to feature 25 times for the Merseyside giants despite joining them in 2015 as he has been consistently unavailable due to injury.
He would have been a risk even if the Magpies opted to loan him rather than buy him as he would have taken up a valuable place in their playing squad if brought to the club.
Given that Rafa Benitez’s side aren’t stacked with attacking options they can’t afford to sign such an injury-prone striker who could struggle to feature if he suffers predictable fitness set-backs.
If the Magpies are indeed aware they’re no longer a contender from Ings then they can successfully pursue an alternative option in order to complete their attacking line up.
Benitez saw first hand the risk of signing a potential injury worry on loan when Islam Slimani arrived at St James Park from Leicester City in January only to spent the majority of his spell in the medical room.
This all means the Magpies should be thankful after this reported update on their pursuit of the Premier League forward as on paper his recruitment definitely would have been risky.
