West Ham have completed the £15m signing of Aston Villa striker Danny Ings.
More to follow...
Analysis: Unwise to let Ings leave?
Sky Sports' Laura Hunter:
"Danny is a very good player in the first XI," Unai Emery said after introducing Ings from the bench to rescue a point against Wolves in early January. "I'm really happy with him," he added.
Given that admission, a mere two weeks ago, it feels strange to be talking about the striker becoming West Ham's newest signing - clearly viewed as expendable by the Villa boss, despite his recent acclamation.
Ings, like Villa, has a tendency to blow hot and cold. Given his age (he is now 30) and injury record, perhaps the smart move is to cash in before allowing his contract to run down, but Villa are hardly flush in front of goal this term.
They've scored a total of 22 league goals - less than both Leeds and Leicester - with Ings netting six of those. That's more than any other Villa player. Leon Bailey is closest with four.
Maybe Ings isn't an archetypal Emery attacker. His pace has waned. He isn't as dynamic or energetic as Ollie Watkins, for example, but he's effective. He scores goals. His movement is intelligent and his finishing is precise. He remains a good option, albeit one whose game time needs to respect his extensive injury history.
Let us also remember that Villa paid £30m to Southampton to rush Ings through the door only 17 months ago. Swallowing that loss to pave the way for untested talent doesn't always pay dividends. Although the master plan - pairing Ings with Watkins up top - hasn't quite come to fruition, letting a proven goalscorer join a direct rival at a cut price seems imprudent.
Goals are the hardest currency to come by in Premier League circles and Ings gives you those. The former Liverpool man may well deliver a timely reminder of exactly what Villa will be missing when the two sides meet in mid-March.
Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this winter? The January transfer window opened on Sunday January 1, 2023 and closes at 11pm in England and midnight in Scotland on Tuesday January 31, 2023.
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.