Mike Ashley must rue Newcastle United rejecting Steve Howey’s advice to sign Southampton striker Danny Ings during Steve McClaren’s ill-fated tenure at St James’ Park.

Howey has been speaking exclusively with Football FanCast and claimed that he urged his former side to make efforts to sign Ings when the forward left Burnley at the end of his contract in 2015.

Ings would instead seal a move to Liverpool, which set the Anfield natives back a record £8m in compensation for the striker’s development, having been signed aged 22 following Burnley’s relegation to the Championship.

Ings had scored 11 times and provided four assists in 35 Premier League appearances during the 2014/15 season to catch Liverpool and Howey’s attention, but would fail to replicate those efforts on Merseyside due to a cruciate ligament rupture and knee surgery.

The 28-year-old has continued to be plagued by minor niggles since joining Southampton on an initial loan deal in 2018, yet he has struck 43 times over 94 games in all competitions and is now said to be a potential Sergio Aguero replacement for Manchester City.

Howey would not hold the injuries against Ings, for whom the Saints paid £20m to sign permanently in 2019, having retained his fondness for the three-cap England international since his advice fell on deaf ears on Tyneside.

“I think Newcastle were interested in Danny Ings a while ago, and I think the fee was initially £10m,” he told FFC. “Steve McClaren was the manager at the time, and I said: ‘just buy him’.

“I know he’s always had his injury problems, but he is a goalscorer and he proved that last season.”

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Ings enjoyed the best Premier League campaign of his career during the 2019/20 season as he fired 22 goals in 38 appearances, while starting 32 fixtures for the first time since his final year at Burnley when he opened 35.

The forward’s efforts saw talkSPORT pundit Clinton Morrison laud Ings for having “top-four quality” and he has continued to earn lavish praise, with Darren Bent claiming that “he’s a top, top finisher” who would “be battering all sorts of goals” if he joins Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues are thought to be interested in Ings as he will enter the final year of his current Southampton contract this summer, while discussions with the St Mary’s natives over a new, £100,000-per-week deal are stalling over a £20m release clause.

Manchester City’s potential gain just adds to the reasons why Newcastle owner Ashley must rue passing up the chance to sign Ings in 2015, before the Magpies began a season under McClaren which would end with relegation.

The Toon’s top-scorer for the 2015/16 season was midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum with 11 goals, ahead of Aleksandr Mitrovic (nine). Relegation was then be followed by the arrival of Dwight Gayle, who cost Newcastle £10m – more than Ings’ move to Liverpool.

While Ings enjoyed a seven-goal season with Southampton in 2018/19, a 22-goal return last term and is already on nine for the current campaign, Gayle’s highest top-flight tally in black and white to date was the six he procured in 2017/18 before hitting four last term.

Newcastle may still have been relegated had they signed Ings in the summer of 2015, with a leaky defence the more pressing issue under McClaren, but the investment would likely have returned greater results in the long-term.

AND in other news, Newcastle undecided on St. James’ future of £25,000-per-week star Steve Bruce wants to keep…