Former Arsenal star Martin Keown has urged the Gunners to sign Southampton star Danny Ings as a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as per The Metro. The Gabon international is yet to sign a new contract with the club and has been heavily linked with a move elsewhere (h/t Football.london).
Ings, 27, rose through the ranks of Bournemouth’s youth system and joined Burnley in the summer of 2011. Though he failed in his first season at Turf Moor, he played a significant role in helping them get promoted to the Premier League at the end of the 2013/14 season, where he scored 21 goals in 40 Championship games.
He was then signed by Liverpool in the summer of 2015 but then failed miserably at Anfield, making just 25 appearances and scoring 4 goals in three years.
He was later sent on loan to Southampton initially and made his move permanent last summer. This season, he has been in sensational form and has already racked up 21 goals. He has enjoyed a brilliant campaign but Arsenal should avoid signing him especially when they have a world-class striker in Aubameyang.
The Gunners have managed to put behind their disappointing spell under Unai Emery and have moved on with the new boss Mikel Arteta. The Spanish tactician has managed to bring the team together and they have done a decent job in the last few months.
Despite losing a few games since the restart, they have had the upper hand in a few big games against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in recent weeks. And one of the main reasons for the upward turn in their form is the brilliance of Aubameyang upfront.
Unlike his teammates, the £200k-a-week talisman has been consistent right from the start of the campaign. He has already racked up 20 goals and is the club’s best player in the last two years despite not getting enough support from Alexandre Lacazette. Therefore, the Gunners should look to hold on to him for a few more years instead of making a move for Ings in the summer.
The former Liverpool man has been brilliant this season but scored only 19 goals in the last 4 years. He hasn’t managed to score more than 10 goals in each of the last four campaigns and has not proven his worth on a consistent basis. On the other hand, Aubameyang has crossed the double-figure mark in each of the last 10 campaigns.
Moreover, the Gabonese international has made over 500 career appearances and would be more helpful with his experience than Ings, who has made just 263 appearances. Aubameyang has already played at the highest level for many years and has already proven his mettle across Europe.
At 27, Ings is in the form of his life but Aubameyang is a proven leader. He has done well despite the team not being at its best and has already been with the club for a couple of years. Arsenal, under a new manager, are growing steadily and a change at this moment could go wrong. Thus, the Gunners should keep hold of the former Dortmund man instead of signing Ings.
