Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ralph: Dan won’t rush out on us
RALPH HASENHUTTL is confident Danny Ings wants to stay at Southampton long term – and will not have his head turned this summer. The England striker has been in sizzling form of late. His double against Watford last weekend took him to 18 goals for the league campaign – one behind the top flight’s leading scorers PierreEmerick Aubameyang and Jamie Vardy. With Manchester United linked to Ings back in January, there is every chance others from the English elite will be eyeing a swoop for the £20million ex-Liverpool hotshot. But Hasenhuttl reckons the fact Ings, 27, was born in nearby Winchester and is having his most prolific season means he will be in no rush to quit St Mary’s.
The Austrian, whose Saints have 40 points, ahead of today’s visit of Manchester City, said: “One of the positives is that Danny is one of our own. He’s a guy who really enjoys being in and playing in this area.
“The top six all have fantastic strikers and Danny, who has had injuries, is at an age where it’s more comfortable to be at a club where he knows what he has.
“Yes, you never know if someone pays £100million for him what we do then – or what he does then.
“But I don’t see this at the moment.
“He has two more years left on his contract. I see him staying even longer with us after that.”