‘Ex-West Ham star Danny Ings close to joining EFL side’
Danny Ings is close to finding a new club following his exit from West Ham United.
The former England international is a free agent after his contract at the London Stadium expired, departing West Ham after registering five goals and five assists in 69 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Ings has also enjoyed spells with Burnley, Southampton, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Liverpool to varying degrees of success in what has been an up-and-down career.
The 32-year-old boasts an impressive goalscoring record, registering 72 strikes in 240 Premier League outings and 27 goals in 87 Championship appearances.
Danny Ings close to finding new club
It’s the Championship that appears to be Ings’ next destination.
Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards revealed on Monday (14 July) that the veteran forward is ‘on the verge’ of signing for Middlesbrough.
Boro finished 10th in the Championship last season but were in the race for the playoffs until the final day, when they lost 2-0 to Coventry City.
| Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| West Ham | 69 | 5 | 5 |
| Aston Villa | 52 | 14 | 8 |
| Southampton | 100 | 46 | 10 |
| Liverpool | 25 | 4 | 1 |
| Burnley | 130 | 43 | 14 |
| Bournemouth | 30 | 8 | 3 |
Tommy Conway stepped up for Boro in 2024/25 following the sale of Emmanuel Latte Lath to Atlanta United, ending the campaign with 13 goals.
However, behind Conway, Middlesbrough’s striker line-up has disappointed, with Marcus Forss managing just one goal in 24 Championship appearances in 2024/25.
Ings’ move to the Riverside Stadium comes after previously being linked with newly-promoted Wrexham, with the striker sure to provide quality depth for new boss Rob Edwards.
West Ham desperate for new forwards
Football Insider verdict
Ings wasn’t the only forward to leave West Ham this summer, with fellow striker Michail Antonio departing, while the club were recently hit with the sale of Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham.
Niclas Fullkrug and Callum Marshall are the only registered strikers in Graham Potter’s squad at present, with the former struggling for form and fitness since arriving in the Premier League and the latter still very inexperienced.
That will be a major worry to West Ham fans, who had to watch their side stumble to a 14th-place finish in the Premier League last season, with only Everton, Man United and the bottom three scoring fewer than their 46 goals.
Jarrod Bowen scored an impressive 13 Premier League goals, but he was the only player at the club to break double figures.
If the Hammers are to avoid another disappointing campaign, they simply must make major moves in the market to bolster Potter’s forward line. And the starting point will undoubtedly be a quality No.9.