West Ham boss David Moyes and Everton are reportedly making a January move for an Aston Villa star but it’s four years too late.
West Ham and Everton share a lot in common and many parallels this season.
The obvious links between West Ham boss Moyes and his old club Everton are mirrored by the fact Frank Lampard – the former Hammers academy graduate and star – is, for now at least, in the dugout at Goodison Park.
Both West Ham and Everton are struggling badly this season and both have just 15 points from 18 games. The Hammers are only outside the relegation zone by virtue of a slightly better goal difference than the Toffees.
Aston Villa are hardly having a barnstorming season themselves. But even Villa have a seven point cushion on West Ham and Everton up in the heady heights of midtable.
Most pressing of all for West Ham and Everton, though, is goals. The key commodity in football is proving hard to come by for both clubs this season.
And it seems the Hammers and Everton feel the answer may come from Aston Villa and more specifically Danny Ings.
West Ham boss Moyes and Everton are said to be making a January move for the Aston Villa star but it’s four years too late.
While West Ham were drawing 2-2 with Leeds, a goal from Ings secured a Villa a 1-1 draw with Wolves on Wednesday night which actually kept the Hammers out of the relegation zone.
Now according to The Daily Mail, West Ham and Everton both want to sign 30-year-old Ings from Aston Villa to help solve their goalscoring issues.
West Ham have been heavily linked with Ings in the past but were allegedly beaten to his signature by Villa.
The Mail (5 January, page 70) reports that Villa will only allow Ings to leave the club on a permanent deal after they rejected the loan offer from Everton.
The problem for both West Ham and Everton, though, is that it is four years too late.
Yes Ings has proven himself a quality forward and finisher when fit and firing.
But that is all too rare an occurrence. What does it say about the recruitment at West Ham and Everton that they are chasing a forward the wrong side of 3 to try and dig them out of a hole?
Yes desperate times call for desperate measures but if he is deemed not good enough for Aston Villa then why would he be up to the task at West Ham or Everton?
Four years ago was the time to sign Ings, as he was coming into the prime of his career.
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