Why Potential Danny Ings Transfer Would Bolster Confidence in Liverpool Attack

Liverpool are taking a proactive step to long-term improvement of their attack with their reported pursuit of Burnley forward Danny Ings.

Andy Hunter of the Guardian reports that Liverpool will attempt to sign Ings before the January transfer window closes on Monday, immediately loaning him back to Turf Moor for the rest of season, with Clarets boss Sean Dyche unwilling to part with his leading goalscorer halfway through the campaign.

However, Ian Herbert of the Independent’s assessment of the money involved may be enough to make some Reds fans reading the morning’s back pages choke on their Corn Flakes: 

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Sources in Lancashire suggest that Liverpool’s willingness to wait until the summer before taking the 22-year-old is tempting, because the club know that if they wait until then to strike a deal then they will be secure a minimal fee. If Burnley wait until then, they would be paid only training compensation for the player – likely to be around £3m-£5m. It is unclear what price Liverpool are offering, though a deal closer to £10m would seem realistic.

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Ambition 

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While it’s the fans’ job to dream, pining for the likes of Edinson Cavani and Alexandre Lacazette to come in and be quick fixes is unrealistic. Liverpool are a team who have played six Champions League games in over five years. Having a romantic illustrious history will only get you so far in a sport in which money talks. 

That being said, the Ings to Liverpool speculation may, on the surface, appear quite underwhelming to the disconcerting supporter. After all, the 22-year-old has just 19 Premier League appearances to his name.

Ings’ potential transfer to Anfield should therefore be seen as a proactive investment in the future of Liverpool’s attack, rather than an immediate saving grace.

Looking at the bigger picture, should Ings’ move go through, Liverpool would have two bright young strikers coming in this summer—with Divock Origi set to complete his loan spell at Lille. They are both immediate replacements for, and probably upgrades on, struggling forwards Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini.

Borini and Balotelli 

The tales of the two Italian strikers’ times at Liverpool make for depressing reading, and barring any supercharged rise to form in the remainder of the season, it’s difficult to see either being kept on past the summer.

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Borini is the man with no end product—a constant livewire in any side when given the opportunity, but contributing very little in the way of team cohesion or, crucially, goals. Borini’s recent strike against Aston Villa was only his third in 35 appearances for the club.

Liverpool would have already been rid of the 23-year-old had he not turned down the opportunity to move to Sunderland or Queens Park Rangers last summer, as per Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph.

If the jury is still out on Balotelli’s career on Merseyside so far, only the most patient of jurors must remain. Two goals in 19 appearances in all competitions has well and truly burst the "Super Mario" bubble of the summer. 

His decision-making continues to let him down, shown none more so than his second-half substitute appearance in Liverpool’s League Cup semi-final defeat at Chelsea this week, summed up perfectly by Sam Wallace of the Independent. 

He made three notable contributions to the match. He came on, ran down the left before he lost the ball shortly after coming on and blazed over from the edge of the Liverpool area. He continues to be dreadful and is generally at his best when defending throw-ins. His sulking at the end of the game was fairly pathetic, too.

There would be reasonable arguments for the sale of both Borini and Balotelli this month were it not for the precarious nature of the January transfer window and upsetting the apple cart after Liverpool’s recent upturn in form.

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The moulding of Raheem Sterling into a forward this season has been crucial to Liverpool, while Brendan Rodgers has warned not to place too much pressure on Daniel Sturridge’s return from injury, as per the Press Association on This Is Anfield.

Signing a striker for immediate use could spark a revival in Liverpool's goal threat, but January is traditionally a difficult time to sign the best talent and the next best thing is preparing for the future.

After criticisms of Liverpool’s inactivity in recent transfer windows, the lining up of both Ings and Origi to come in and bolster Liverpool’s attacking options in the summer can only be a good thing.

By then Ings would have another half-season of Premier League experience under his belt, hopeful of adding to his seven-goal tally so far.