ExWHUemployee: Sky Sports jump gun on West Ham deal for Danny Ings, relegation clause stumbling block
West Ham are yet to complete the deal for Aston Villa striker Danny Ings and Sky Sports have “jumped the gun”, as reported by ExWHUemployee.
Writing on Patreon (19 January), the reliable Hammers source has shared that Villa have accepted an offer from West Ham, but the club still need to agree personal terms with the player.
Ings could ask for a relegation release clause to be inserted in his contract as one of the terms, which remains a last-ditch obstacle in completing the deal.
Sky Sports broke the news via their live transfer blog on Thursday morning (09:12 am) that the Irons have paid £15 million to sign the 30-year-old.
The broadcaster reported that the deal has been completed, but Ex suggests that there are still a few steps remaining to get his signature over the dotted lines.
“We believe that Sky have jumped the gun and the deal is not complete,” wrote Ex on Patreon.
“We believe what has happened is that Villa have accepted our offer and now we need to agreed personal terms with the player.
“The player could be set to ask for a relegation release clause in his contract as one of the terms. The club will also need to complete a medical with the player.”
Deal should go through
After an agreement has been reached between the two clubs, the deal should go through.
It won’t be a big problem for the Hammers meet his personal demands, while Ings should be able to clear his medical tests.
The relegation clause remains a last-ditch obstacle. It’s hard to believe that such terms are being discussed, as the Hammers are in the relegation zone at the moment.
This is the same team that reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season. Despite spending over £150m on new players in the summer, the club have regressed after what they did last season.
Ings is a proven goalscorer and he would be a cracking signing for the club. He has dropped down the pecking order at Villa, but his numbers are impressive.
He has scored six goals in eight starts so far, managing only 818 league minutes, which means he has managed a goal after every 136.2 minutes.
The former Saints striker is a natural finisher, but it didn’t work out well for him at Villa.