Aston Villa: Gerrard selling £25m star 'would be a surprise'

Aston Villa striker Danny Ings’ summer exit for Brighton & Hove Albion ‘would come as a surprise’ if it goes ahead less than 12 months on from his arrival at Villa Park, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Ings joined Villa days before the campaign got underway, with the Midlands club prising him away from boyhood club Southampton after agreeing a £25million fee.

It appears Ings’ stint on Villa’s books could prove to be short-lived as, according to Football Insider, Brighton have set their sights on signing the striker when the transfer window reopens.

The report suggests Seagulls boss Graham Potter is keen to add a prolific centre forward to his ranks ahead of next season kicking off and the 29-year-old fits the bill as a result of his vast Premier League experience.

Ings has found the back of the net 106 times over the course of his senior club career, emphasising the fact he is a serious threat in the final third of the pitch.

Despite only being welcomed to the Midlands a matter of months ago, Ings will already enter the final two years of his Villa contract in the summer.

He is also the club’s highest-earner, with him raking in £120,000-per-week, so sanctioning the former Liverpool man’s departure could allow head coach Steven Gerrard to bring in another big-name star in his place.

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O’Rourke would be shocked if Villa allowed Ings to move onto pastures new when the transfer window reopens.

The frontman’s switch to Villa Park went under the radar, with no reports of Ings being on his way to the second city until the deal had already been confirmed.

As a result, O’Rourke does not reckon Gerrard will be willing to offload