Manchester City have been dealt a blow in their hopes of signing Southampton striker Danny Ings this summer after Ralph Hasenhuttl suggested that he wouldn't be sold, which rules out another option for Pep Guardiola in his hunt for a Sergio Aguero replacement at the Etihad Stadium.

What's the word?

Despite rejecting a new contract at St Mary's recently, it seems as if Ings will remain a Southampton player for the 2021/22 campaign, even if it means losing him for nothing at the end of next season.

Although City could potentially sign him then on a free transfer, Guardiola is clearly desperate to sign a striker this summer, and without a clinical forward in their squad, it might prove difficult for the Citizens to retain their Premier League title.

Hasenhuttl was firm on Ings' future at Southampton as he told the BBC: "He's our player for another year, we paid a lot of money for him. When we brought him here, we invested a lot to get him to the highest level and how he is at the moment. We stuck with him with all these injuries he had, gave him the time to recover, gave him the time to perform.

"There's no reason to sell him, but it's always a risk for the player when you go into your final year without a contract."

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Another transfer setback for Man City?

City have been linked with a whole host of strikers this summer as they look to find someone to fill Aguero's boots, but a number of their reported targets don't appear to be realistic options for the Citizens.

Romelu Lukaku confirmed that he would remain with Inter, whilst Erling Haaland and Harry Kane would both cost well over £100m, which has limited their options.

Ings has netted 34 Premier League goals over the past two seasons, a greater tally than both Aguero (20) and Gabriel Jesus (23), which hints at just how potent he can be in the division and how astute an addition he could have been at the Etihad.

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Andre Silva was touted as a potential replacement but he has signed for RB Leipzig, and now that the "outstanding" Ings doesn't seem to be a viable option for City, fans will no doubt be worried that no striker will be brought in before the deadline, which could seriously hamper their chances of silverware next season.

In other news... Man City can sign their next Sane with swoop for "extraordinary" winger, he loves Pep