Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a move for Southampton striker Danny Ings recently, and if the striker were to join the Lilywhites in the summer it could be bad news for Carlos Vinicius.
According to The Guardian, Ings is delaying contract talks with Southampton as he eyes a move to a club playing European football, with Spurs monitoring his situation at the South Coast club.
The former Liverpool man has been superb since joining Southampton, having seemingly overcome the injury issues that marred his time with the Merseyside club, and he finished as the joint-second top scorer in the Premier League last season with 22 goals.
He has also started this season in impressive form for the high-flying Saints, having contributed seven goals and three assists in 13 top-flight appearances, averaging a strong 7.17 rating.
If he were to join the North London club ahead of next season, it could spell trouble for Vinicius' hopes of joining Spurs on a permanent basis.
The Brazilian was signed on loan from Benfica for the season, with Spurs holding the option to sign him for €45 million (£40 million).
The 25-year-old has impressed with his performances in the Europa League, with three goals and three assists in five appearances, resulting in a 7.41 average rating. He also bagged a hat-trick in the FA Cup third round against Marine but has been limited to just four substitute appearances in the Premier League.
With Ings currently valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt, and his contract set to run out at the end of next season, the Englishman would surely prove to be a lot cheaper to bring in that Vinicius, with the added bonus that he has a lot of Premier League experience, having contributed 50 goals and 12 assists in 124 top-flight appearances.
Having made three appearances for England in his career thus far, Ings could also prove to be an effective strike partner for Harry Kane in Jose Mourinho's side, as they will have worked together at international level. The Southampton man's energy and pressing in attack could allow Kane to drop slightly deeper and be more of a playmaker, as we have seen with Heung-Min Son this season.
Former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was full of praise for Ings last season, saying:
“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.
“Technically he’s very good, plays with real intelligence and the way he’s come back from his disappointments, the injury setbacks he’s had, the way he’s fought back and kept his mental strength has been hugely impressive.”
Therefore, if he were to join, it would be difficult to see Daniel Levy shelling out another £40 million just to sign Vinicius, as the Benfica man would surely struggle for much game time if he was behind both Kane and Ings in the pecking order in Mourinho's side, so it would not be a surprise if he was forced to return to Benfica.
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