Spurs covet Ings while Costa waits in wings
TOTTENHAM are ready to offer Southampton striker Danny Ings the chance to follow his dream of Champions League football. But Spurs have also been offered Diego Costa this month with the controversial frontman keen on a reunion with his former boss Jose Mourinho. Southampton striker Ings, who is stalling on signing a new contract at St Mary’s because, at 28, he wants one last chance of playing in Europe’s biggest competition, is wanted by Spurs.
Ings has been offered a new four-year deal by Saints, which would make him the highest-paid player at the club, but he wants a release clause in any new contract.
That would allow the former Liverpool ace to take up an offer from an interested club. Spurs made an offer for Ings last summer which was rejected but Mourinho, who instead signed Benfica striker Carlos Vinicius on a season-long loan deal, remains a big fan of the England striker.
Saints value Ings at more than £30m and that price tag is likely to rule out any move in this window.
Instead Spurs want to pay half of that and are looking to try to do a deal in the summer. That puts ex-Chelsea striker Costa, now 32, in the picture as he is a free agent after ripping up his contract with Atletico Madrid in December.
The Brazil-born Spain international is keen on a move back to London with Spurs, having won the Premier League in 2015 at Chelsea with Mourinho.
The futures of strikers Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min remain precarious. Son is yet to sign the new deal Spurs have offered him amid interest from Real Madrid, and Manchester City have shown interest in Kane.