dsr-burnley

He's worth more than that to Burnley. Who do we buy with £12m? Ross McCormack? Jordan Rhodes? Staying up is worth £70m. Sell Ings, we lose our chance at that £70m, we alienate the fans, we make the manager cross and probably incline him to leave, we annoy the other players who see their chance of survival diminish. And at least one of the reasons Ings hasn't signed a new contract is because he knows that a club that pays only a tribunal transfer fee, can afford to pay a large signing-in fee - so he doesn't want to go for £12m anyway. Burnley are projected to make a profit of £30m this season as things stand - largely because we couldn't find players who would fit into the squad at the right sort of salary. So we decided to go with what we had, plus Boyd and Keane (and a few reserves), because you can't buy team spirit. The point is, we're not strapped for cash. There's no need to sell Ings just for the money. Offer £15-£20m, you might have a chance. But no-one's going to offer that sort of money for a man out of contract in summer, even if he does have a tribunal value. And clubs know that the size of offers already received is taken into account by the tribunal committee - so making a huge offer might just affect the amount you have to pay later.

We used to think it was tied on that Ings would want to go back to Southampton, partly because of rumours that he was really homesick. But then last summer he spent most of the off season in Burnley, before pre-season started, when he could have been back down south if he'd wanted too. He does genuinely seem to like people, especially disabled people - quite apart from his disabled soccer school. There's a very touching photo somewhere of him giving his boots to a disabled youngster after a match, and giving him a kiss (on top of his head) too. There was a charity match in Burnley for a man dying of cancer, Ings was there before kickoff and for at least a couple of hours afterwards, signing things, having his photo taken, etc. A boy who had been off school for weeks with illness had a knock on the door and there was Danny Ings, with a signed shirt, come round to play computer soccer with him. He does seem to be a genuinely good bloke. A credit to football. Shame he won't sign a new contract at Burnley!

As much as he would if he had 3 years left. Burnley aren't in a position where we have to rake in three or four million no matter what the long-term cost. We'll hold on to him until summer, and then, assuming Ings doesn't sign another contract in the meantime (he probably won't), then we get a tribunal fee unless he leaves the country. Premier league quality strikers don't come cheap, and if Ings goes we haven't a replacement. The potential to stay up is worth a lot more than the potential Ings transfer fee.

Without having seen him play, I know he's better than Wayne Thomas. What are Burnley doing? Trying to sign players who will improve the team and getting knocked back on fees, wages, or outbid - that's one. And strengthening the squad in areas where we don't have any strength in depth - that's two. We've only got three proper centre backs, and one of them hasn't been a first team player since he went on loan to Accrington Stanley, so we need cover. I think that's where Hooivled would fit in. And as he probably thinks he can force either Shackell or Duff (the mighty, but elderly, Duff has actually looked more comfortable than Shackell in limited play so far) out of the team, then hopefully this at least is a transfer we can make stick.

Ings won't be sold unless Burnley have a replacement, and that replacement would most likely be Deeney who seems to be costing more than £8.5m So that's what it'll cost to get Ings, because Burnley would rather keep him than sell him. Besides, Ings doesn't want to leave, he wants to see out his contract. He won't be free next season because he'll be under 24. A tribunal will set the fee if the clubs can't agree.

Yes, probably (though I wouldn't want to rock the boat at present). But Ings is better now than JRod was when he was at Burnley. 18 months of Premier League football has made a big difference, as you'd expect.

Better. He's got much more of an all-round game than Austin, and he's a better goalscorer (based on Rodriguez' time at Burnley) than Rodriguez was. Add to that he's 18 months' younger than Rodriguez was when you signed him (they were born almost exactly 3 years apart).

Hi, Burnley fan here - just a couple of things about Ings. 1. He's almost certainly not for sale in January - like with Rodriguez two years ago, and Austin last year, we'll keep hold of him until summer (when he'll have 1 year left on his contract). We won't be selling when things are going so well, and when we're on course for financial break-even this year. 2. If he and Vokes looked fat, it's probably because of the shirt design. They've both played every game (well, Ings missed one) and both have rarely been subbed because we don't have a reserve forward. Fitness isn't an issue.