Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has already dropped a hint that he is eyeing a cheaper attacking option amid links to Spurs’ Harry Kane.
The Tottenham forward has been strongly linked with a switch to the Etihad over recent months, with the reigning Premier League champions aiming to replace Sergio Aguero and Kane having expressed his desire to leave north London.
One alternative option that may have presented itself to City is Southampton’s Danny Ings.
According to The Athletic, the Saints frontman has rejected the offer of a new four-year deal at St Mary's and apparently wants to test himself elsewhere.
With just a year left on his current contract on the South Coast, that could force Southampton into a sale either this summer or in January.
When compared to Kane, Ings would certainly be the cheaper option for Guardiola.
The current Spurs frontman has three years left on his deal and is valued at £108m by transfermarkt, with Ings sitting some way behind at just £19.8m.
Considering Guardiola’s previous comments regarding a search for a striker, that could well see City focus their efforts on signing Ings instead of Kane.
When asked in April if the club were going to replace Aguero, he said: "There is a big chance we are not going to sign a striker this summer.
"We have enough players in the first-team right now and we have interesting players in the academy, so there is a big chance that, because of the economic situation in the world right now, we are not going to sign a striker next season.
"With these prices, we are not going to buy any striker. It's impossible, we can't afford it. That is not going to happen. All the clubs struggle financially, and we are not an exception.”
The decision to potentially refocus their efforts on a more financially viable move for Ings would be a huge boost to Spurs and their hopes of keeping Kane in north London.
football.london understands that Daniel Levy does not want to lose the striker with the 27-year-old having just claimed his third Premier League Golden Boot.
