“Don’t rule it out*- Birmingham City Eye Shock Move for £15m West Ham Flop – Championship Rivals on Alert
Birmingham City and Wrexham could reportedly lock horns to sign a 72-time Premier League goalscorer.
West Ham United striker Danny Ings has been tipped to join either Birmingham City or Wrexham in the summer transfer window.
Ings is confirmed to be leaving the Hammers upon the expiry of his contract on June 30 and a move to the Championship looks likely. The 32-year-old may still believe he has something to offer in the Premier League, but his mere 660 top-tier minutes in the last two seasons combined suggest otherwise.
Journalist Graeme Bailey has been assessing Ings’ options and believes former club Burnley will be in the fight. But a move to either Birmingham or Wrexham, both recently promoted from League One to the Championship, shouldn’t be completely ruled out as their respective projects could prove to be more alluring.
“There are a lot of options out there,” Bailey told EFL Analysis. “I wouldn’t necessarily rule Burnley out of the equation. Again, we know he’s obviously had time there and did well. I think he’s another one (like Jamie Vardy) who is on the cusp; does he go to a Premier League club or maybe a top of the Championship club?
“Again, I wouldn’t rule him out of the Birmingham and Wrexham conversations at all. I think there are a lot of options out there for Danny Ings and he’s just weighing them up. Again, a bit like Vardy, I think he’d rather be in the Premier League, but he may have to drop down.”
It has been a tricky past few seasons for Ings as he has contributed just five goals and five assists in 69 appearances since signing for West Ham. The Hammers have seen hardly any return from their £15 million investment, not helped by Ings’ string of injury problems.
But there could still be a player in there. Ings is only in his early-thirties and had been a mightily clinical finisher all the way throughout his career until he joined West Ham. With 72 goals in 240 Premier League matches and a further 27 goals in 87 Championship games, Ings boasts an impressive record.
As Bailey suggests, Birmingham and Wrexham could both seek to help Ings revive his career. It may take a little while for the three-time former England international to get fully back up to speed but it could be worth a punt on a short-term deal. As there’s no transfer fee involved, there’s very little to lose and, if it were to go right, the gain could prove to be significant.
There’s an argument that Ings wouldn’t even start for Birmingham as they have Jay Stansfield leading the line, however the £13 million record signing is arguably just as good on the left flank and could shift into that role to facilitate the West Ham man’s arrival.
Wrexham, meanwhile, have an increasingly ageing strike force in Paul Mullin, Jay Rodriguez, Ollie Palmer and Steven Fletcher. Ings, a more mobile option than those already at the Racecourse Ground, could add to the experienced contingent owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have already invested in.
