Aston Villa: Ings swap deal for £40m Gerrard target unlikely at Villa Park

Aston Villa ‘can’t really’ include Danny Ings in any potential swap deal for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma unless his price tag drops, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Villans have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old midfielder in recent months as manager Steven Gerrard looks to bolster his options in the middle of the pitch.

According to The Athletic, Brighton were demanding £50 million to part ways with Bissouma in the January transfer window, with Gerrard confirming his side had an offer ‘turned away’ for his services.

However, the Mali international will only have 12 months remaining on his contract when the current campaign concludes, meaning he could be available in a cut-price deal.

And the Daily Mirror have now claimed that Ings could be included in a ‘swap deal’ for Bissouma after finding himself surplus to requirements at Villa Park.

The 29-year-old only joined the Midlands outfit last summer after completing a £25m move from Southampton, but he’s struggled to adapt to his new surroundings.

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After scoring 46 goals in 100 games for the Saints, Ings has found the back on the net on just five occasions throughout his 25 appearances for Villa, highlighting his underwhelming displays.

And it’s believed that Gerrard has made a top-level striker one of his priorities for the summer after becoming frustrated with his current options.

Due to Bissouma’s contract situation, Jones reckons the Seagulls will lower their asking price for the engine room operator by £10m, but he still believes including Ings in the deal would not represent good value for money on Villa’s side.

In an exclusive interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “Brighton