Manager Unai Emery has explained all on the Danny Ings transfer from Aston Villa to West Ham after granting the player’s wish.
There was some surprise from those of a claret and blue persuasion in east London and the west Midlands when Sky Sports revealed West Ham were set to complete a £15 million deal to sign striker Ings from Villa on Thursday.
They say desperate times call for desperate measures. And they don’t come more desperate than West Ham and David Moyes right now.
As Aston Villa’s top scorer – and with no obvious replacement as yet – there were some raised eyebrows at the decision to let Ings leave too.
The move has divided opinion at Aston Villa and West Ham.
In terms of the Hammers perspective, many supporters feel it is a signing typical of the West Ham of old. A player over 30, with a questionable injury record.
While it is clearly a panic signing that little planning has gone into, West Ham are desperately in need of goals and could be without £35m summer signing Gianluca Scamacca for a spell through injury.
While Aston Villa are generally very quick and efficient at getting deals done, West Ham are often quite the opposite with each transfer becoming long, drawn out sagas.
So there was surprise too at how quickly West Ham have got the Ings deal done as the Hammers try to get him registered before Friday’s 12pm deadline so that he can be in the squad to face Everton this weekend.
Well now the questions around the deal have been answered.
Manager Unai Emery has explained the Ings transfer from Aston Villa to West Ham after granting the player’s wish.
Speaking in Villa’s pre-match press conference, Emery told the press the West Ham offer was a good deal for his club and the striker – who wanted the move.
“Yes, I think he will sign for West Ham,” Emery said when asked about Ings (Express and Star).
“For us, he was a very important player and his commitment was amazing. With me, he was so respectful.
“We decided on one offer from West Ham. The player was wishing to get it and I decided to let him go because for him it was a very good offer and for the club as well.”
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