West Ham United’s deal to sign Danny Ings could mean that David Moyes stays at the club, claims Luke Edwards.
The Lowdown: Ings an Iron
The huge news for West Ham today is the £15m agreement reached with Aston Villa over the transfer of the striker (via Sky Sports).
The 30-year-old could prove to be a catalytic arrival in east London to steer them to safety after netting six Premier League goals from just eight starts this term.
Ings only joined Villa 18 months ago in a £25m deal from Southampton, but he has not made a start in the league since November when he scored twice in a 2-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Englishman clearly isn’t in Unai Emery’s plans, leaving the Hammers to pick up a potential bargain if he can bring his goalscoring form to the London Stadium.
The Latest: Moyes future?
Speaking on Transfer Gossip Daily before news of the agreement emerged, Edwards hinted that Moyes’ future may still be safe as he questioned why West Ham would bring in one of the Scotsman’s key targets only for him to be potentially sacked in the near future.
He said: “West Ham are talking about signing Danny Ings - makes sense, perfectly behind that decision. But then there’s also stories today saying that David Moyes, the West Ham manager, could be sacked by West Ham if he loses to Frank Lampard’s Everton in the next game, but if he loses his job at West Ham, he will be the favourite to replace Frank Lampard at Everton.”
“I would quite like to know what West Ham are going to do with their manager before I get too excited about who they’re going to sign.
“If they’re interested in Danny Ings and David Moyes wants him, why would you then sign a player and sack the manager within a few days afterwards?
“The idea of a manager losing to another manager to then replace the manager he’s lost to, that even blows my mind midway through a January transfer window.”
The Verdict: Reprieval for Moyes?
The incoming of Ings could signal more time for Moyes to turn the sinking West Ham ship around.
According to Sky Sports, the 59-year-old could be sacked if the Hammers lose against relegation rivals Everton on Saturday and could bring an end to his current four-year stint in east London.
However, the signing of Ings indicates more backing to Moyes, and the striker's 68 Premier League goals show he’s fully capable of adding that firepower to their survival bid and potentially save the manager's job.