Aston Villa’s resurgence has been a mix of Unai Emery’s excellent coaching plus his nous in the transfer market.
Not only has he managed to sign players such as Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Youri Tielemans, but the Spaniard has also been able to move on some deadwood who, quite simply, were not in his future plans.
Cameron Archer, Ashley Young and Philippe Coutinho (on loan) have all departed the club, but it is his decision to sell Danny Ings last January which could be one of his best transfer decisions he has made during his time in the Midlands.
How much Aston Villa sold Danny Ings for
Despite scoring seven goals for Villa during the first half of the 2022/23 season, it was evident that Ings’ long-term future lay away from the club, especially following Emery’s appointment.
Towards the end of the January 2023 transfer window, Villa sold the striker to West Ham United for a £15m transfer fee and considering he was going to turn 31 in July, it was too good a fee to turn down.
His form over the previous 12 months has certainly proven that West Ham grossly overpaid for the former Liverpool centre-forward as his goal return has been abysmal.
Danny Ings’ market value at West Ham
The 31-year-old scored three goals during the second half of last season while chipping in with two assists and while the figures were hardly groundbreaking, it looked as though he could be a reliable option for David Moyes to call upon.
This season, however, Ings has been dismal. Across 22 matches in all competitions, the Englishman has failed to score and grabbed just one assist.
This has led to criticism, most notably from Andy Cole, who dubbed Ings as a “strange signing” during his appearance in the Sky Sports studio following the Carabao Cup clash between the Irons and Arsenal (via Hammers News).
Indeed, among his teammates in the top flight, Ings currently ranks in a lowly 14th position for shots per game (0.5), tenth for key passes per game (0.4) and for successful dribbles per game (0.4), suggesting that even when he does get an opportunity to shine, he fails to have a positive influence.
His form since the start of the season has seen the 5 foot 10 dud market value decline rapidly. According to Football Transfers, Ings is now valued at just €5.4m (£4.6m) and this will only continue to deteriorate as time goes on.
It is clear, judging by his performances and goal record since joining West Ham, that Villa have gotten the better end of the deal and Moyes must now be wondering why he splashed £15m on a player who was clearly on the decline.
Moving players on who no longer contribute effectively is a transfer strategy which has proven to be the best course of action for Emery to restore Villa as a top-six team in the Premier League.
With just three goals in 13 months, securing £15m for Ings may be his finest piece of transfer business yet.
