INGS SAINT LEAVING ON THE CHEAP

DANNY INGS has been told it will take “an offer we can’t refuse” to sell him with his Southampton contract talks as yet unresolved.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has maintained the club is doing all it can to secure the 28-year-old, who is entering the final 18 months of his current terms, to a new deal.

Ings (above) is on course to return from injury against Brighton tonight having thrived since joining Saints in the summer of 2019. His recall to the

England squad was the highlight of a spell which saw him second in the race for the Premier League Golden Boot last season, scoring 22 goals.

Hasenhuttl said: “He stays with us until the end of his contract. Maybe there comes a club with the money we want to have for him and he can leave, but I don’t know if he wants to leave.

“I know what he has with the club. I know how much the fans love him here.

“He has become an English international from this club, so that shows you don’t have to be part of the top six to be an England international. This we could manage for him. Definitely, I think this message is coming – the rest is on him to decide if he wants to stay with us. If not, we will also find a future.”

Saints visit Brighton having won three of their last five matches. Hasenhuttl, celebrating two years at the club, added: “We know our target is to be in the top 10. That would be realistic and would be massive progress to where we were.”

BRIGHTON: Ryan, White, Webster, Dunk, Lamptey, Bissouma, Gross, March, Connolly, Maupay, Welbeck SOUTHAMPTON: McCarthy, Walker-Peters, Vestergaard, Bednarek, Bertrand, WardProwse, Romeu, Armstrong, Djenepo, Walcott, Adams REF: David Coote