Former Manchester United man Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Transfer Tavern that he’s surprised to see Southampton striker Danny Ings linked with Manchester City.

The Premier League leaders are in the market to replace Sergio Aguero, having announced that the Argentine will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

He has been a remarkably reliable goalscorer for the club, scoring 257 goals in 384 games for the club.

Indeed, Aguero has scored 20 goals across a Premier League season no fewer than six times, and has scored more than 15 goals on eight occasions. He has had 10 seasons in the Premier League.

Sky Sports reported that Ings was a target for City as they explore their options when it comes to recruiting a forward.

The 28-year-old, by comparison, has scored 51 goals in 133 Premier League games across his career and has only broken the 20 mark once, last season.

And Gillespie believes the link is bizarre, especially when his injury record is also taken into account; Ings has had four hamstring injuries since his move to Southampton, and ruptured his cruciate ligaments at Liverpool.

Speaking to TT, he said: “It's a strange one that.

“I really like Danny Ings as a player, but you look at the injury record that he's had over the years, at Liverpool and Southampton, plenty of injuries.

“Is he on the same level as Aguero? I don't think so. But Aguero’s exceptional. Danny Ings is a really good Premier League player.”

City have also been linked with a potential swoop for Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, who has scored 21 Bundesliga goals in 21 games this season, and Gillespie thinks that makes more sense, again claiming that he would be shocked if Ings did end up at the Etihad Stadium.

He added: “I'd be very surprised if that happens, because you're talking about Man City, you're talking about them going for Haaland, somebody like that, somebody that is young.

“Danny Ings we know has had his injury problems so I would be surprised if that happened. I have heard it mentioned and I’m sure it’s raised a few eyebrows with a lot of people.”