20 January 2023 , 12:30
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West Ham United have moved for Aston Villa striker Danny Ings in a deal worth £15m.
30-year-old striker Ings, who has three caps for England, will move to the London Stadium just 18 months after joining Villa from Southampton. He is the Hammers' second January signing, after Brazilian defender Luizao joined at the start of the window.
“I’m really excited to join West Ham United,” said Ings, who will wear the No18 shirt. “It’s important I settle in as quickly as I can do – and do the important stuff on the pitch for West Ham.
“We’ve got some massive games ahead of us – and I’ve come here to try and score as many goals as I can to help the team to get some positive results. I’m really looking forward to getting started.”
“I’m really pleased to add Danny to the squad,” Hammers' manager David Moyes said. "He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and will add great competition for places in the attacking third. We’re looking forward to integrating him into the group, as we go into a busy period in our season.”
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The arrival comes at a time when Michail Antonio, West Ham's second-highest scorer last season, continues to be linked with an exit. Chelsea are among the clubs to have reportedly made efforts to sign the Jamaica international.
Villa have taken a financial hit on Ings, who cost around £25m in the summer of 2021. The striker scored seven league goals in his first season at Villa Park, and has six in the competition this term.
He has nearly 200 Premier League appearances under his belt, having played in the competition for Burnley, Liverpool and Southampton before that 2021 move. His 65 Premier League goals include a career-best 22 in the 2019-20 season, with only golden boot winner Jamie Vardy scoring more.
Ings joins a West Ham side who have struggled in front of goal this season after finishing seventh last term. Only Wolves have scored fewer than the Hammers' 15-goal total, with David Moyes' team only off the bottom of the table on goal difference.
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Danny Ings scored his sixth league goal of the season in Aston Villa's January draw with Wolves (AFP via Getty Images)West Ham spent big over the summer, with Italy international striker Gianluca Scamacca arriving from Sassuolo for £35m. The 24-year-old is the Hammers' top scorer with seven goals in all competitions, but only three of those have come in the league.
Moyes' team have impressed in Europe, winning all six of their Europa Conference League games to book their place in the last 16 of the competition. It has been a different story domestically, though, with the team drawing a blank in four of their last seven games to slide from 10th to 18th.
West Ham were also eliminated from the EFL Cup by Championship side Blackburn Rovers in the third round. There was a brief respite in the FA Cup, as Said Benrahma's winner saw them win at Brentford, but a potential banana skin at Derby County awaits in the fourth round.
Ings, meanwhile, has opted to move on after the arrival of Unai Emery as Villa manager saw his opportunities limited. All four of his Premier League appearances since the World Cup have come as a substitute, and Villa have dipped into the transfer market to sign Colombian starlet Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire as Emery's side give an indication of their future plans in attack.