Aston Villa: Pete O’Rourke drops Danny Ings update | OneFootball

Pete O’Rourke has delivered an update on Aston Villa’s reported plans for Danny Ings.

What’s the story?

It was recently claimed by Dean Jones that Ings could become available to leave Villa Park in the summer transfer window amid a disappointing debut season at the club.

Now, O’Rourke has moved to quell those fears, insisting that he remains a “key part” of Steven Gerrard’s plans in the Midlands.

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He said: “I don’t think there’s any doubts over his future. I still think he’s a key part of Villa’s plans going forward. He was a big signing.”

Lot to prove at Villa

The 29-year-old got his Villa career off to the perfect start with two goals in his first two games, but goals have been far harder to come by since then, with his team’s overall struggles not being the most ideal situation either.

He’s completed the full 90 minutes just twice since mid-October, with both Dean Smith and Gerrard seemingly favouring Watkins in the lone striker role for Villa.

While things haven’t quite worked out just yet for Ings at Villa, it’s certainly not time to be throwing the towel in on someone who’s very much a proven performer at this level.

The £120k-a-week earning ace enjoyed a decent campaign in the Premier League last term, firing in 12 goals in just 29 top-flight games – that followed up from his outstanding 2019/20 season when he bagged 22 goals and finished just behind Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy (23).

Former Premier League striker Clinton Morrison once compared him to Robbie Keane for his “first-class” movement, while Ralph Hasenhuttl, his former boss at St Mary’s, lauded his exploits as “unbelievable”.

Even though Ings may have come from another Premier League and shouldn’t perhaps need the adaptation time a signing from abroad might need, he hasn’t been helped too much by the lack of consistent game-time and the fact he’s had to play under two different managers so early on.