Danny Ings' Liverpool Transfer Bid Lodged, Latest Reds Rumours

Liverpool have made an offer to sign Burnley striker Danny Ings, according to David Maddock of the Mirror.

Maddock suggests the Reds are willing to spend £5 million before the end of the transfer window to secure Ings' services in an "unusual deal." He is available for free when his contract runs out during the summer, but with rumoured interest from the likes of Tottenham, Newcastle and Real Sociedad, Brendan Rodgers is allegedly willing to offer cash to push Liverpool to the front of the queue.

However, Burnley reiterated that they weren't interested in selling their star in a statement released on Friday:

"

Following growing media speculation, Burnley Football Club would like to reiterate their stance regarding striker Danny Ings.

Ings has been heavily linked in the past 24 hours with a permanent move to Liverpool, with the suggestion that he would then be loaned back to the club for the remainder of the campaign.

This kind of deal is prohibited by the Premier League under rule V7 which states that a player cannot be purchased and loaned back between Premier League clubs in the same transfer window.

Chief Executive Lee Hoos said: “This type of move would violate Premier League rule V7 regarding transfers so simply cannot happen.

“This is the last time we will be making any comment regarding the player’s future.

“Over the course of the window, the player himself, Sean Dyche and the chairman have made it clear he won’t be going anywhere and we consider that the end of the matter.”

"

The Reds' potentially killer play is that they are willing to loan Ings back to Burnley for the remainder of the season. It would be extremely difficult for Sean Dyche to replace the Englishman's quality with just three days left in the transfer window, so this could appeal to the Turf Moor club.

Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

Rodgers "is prepared to splash the cash now, just to guarantee he doesn't get embroiled in a free for all with rival clubs also vying for his signature potentially offering huge wages," notes Maddock. A previous Sky Sports report indicates Burnley would still earn "around £3 million in compensation" if Ings doesn't sign a new deal and departs on a free.

At the end of December, Ings confirmed he won't have his head turned, reported by Ian Herbert of The Independent:

"

I’m contracted until the end of the season and that’s the way it’s going to be. Now I can fight for the team as much as I can and do my best for them. [If an offer comes in] I won’t be looking at that. I’ll just take that for my confidence and take it into my game and do as well as I can for Burnley.

"

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Dyche also expects Ings to stay, despite the latest round of speculation, per Maddock:

"

There's just been contact—constant contact, but we all know where we stand. [...] Danny's made it clear he's going to be here until the end of the season. We've made it clear he's going to be here until the end of the season. After that, who knows - watch this space.

"

Clive Mason/Getty Images

Ings is the type of player who would energetically try to make Liverpool a more pressing team. He doesn't let defenders settle on the ball and is naturally drilled to chase possession down, something Liverpool's game has been missing since Luis Suarez left.

The return of Daniel Sturridge should also improve this aspect of the team's play. A trio of Sturridge, Ings and Raheem Sterling has the potential to work well in Rodgers' 3-4-3 formation; all are quick, possess quality on the ball and are smart finishers. Ings' seven goals in 19 Premier League appearances—33 percent of Burnley's total for the season, per WhoScored.com—are a result of his natural willingness to battle.

He could eventually replace Mario Balotelli, whose future was recently discussed by B/R UK's Matt Ladson:

James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo indicates Rodgers can't wait to have Sturridge back:

Rodgers also is said to be interested in signing Hannover duo Lars Stindl and Leonardo Bittencourt in a bid to bolster his squad, per Peter Guy of the Liverpool Echo.

Jackson Martinez's agent has confirmed "he wants to play in Serie A," per AreaNapoli.it (h/t Ben Gladwell of ESPN FC), while Paris Saint-Germain's interest in Alexandre Lacazette, reported by Ligue 1 specialist Jonathan Johnson, makes him a difficult capture.

Ings could be an extremely useful signing for the club. He's perhaps not the big-money name many Anfield followers will want, but the Reds are unlikely to find someone who will work harder to succeed than the 22-year-old.

He fits in well with Rodgers' philosophy and has shown he possesses a goalscoring touch at a relegation-threatened side. Ings could improve with better players surrounding him and is the type of individual who would quash the argument that he's not good enough for Liverpool with sheer willpower.