Danny Ings has reluctantly decided to leave Liverpool this summer in a bid to reignite his career.
The 25-year-old, who joined the Reds from Burnley in 2015, knows his first-team opportunities will be severely limited next season.
Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane are all ahead of the one-time England international in the pecking order, as is 20-year-old Dominic Solanke.
Jurgen Klopp named Solanke on the bench for last month’s Champions League final against Real Madrid and could find no room in his 18-man squad for Ings.
With 18-year-old Rhian Brewster set to be promoted to the first team this summer, Ings feels it’s now in his best interests to leave Anfield ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.
His spell with the Merseyside outfit has been plagued by two serious knee injuries. He’s managed to make just 25 appearances in three seasons, scoring four goals.
His last goal came against West Brom in April, his first goal since 2015 and also his first goal under Klopp.
What Liverpool have agreed to do for Ings is class
Several clubs are understood to be keen on signing Ings, who scored 11 Premier League goals for Burnley prior to his move to Anfield.
According to the Mirror’s David Maddock, Tottenham and Crystal Palace have expressed interest in the forward, as have Italian giants Inter Milan.
Liverpool won’t stand in Ings’ way and, according to the Daily Mail, have agreed to do something which deserves respect.
The Reds have taken a firm stance in recent seasons of extractive maximum value for outgoing transfers - as we saw with Philippe Coutinho, who cost Barcelona a cool £142 million, earlier this year - but they will place a value on him that will make him an appealing option to prospective buyers.
They've done this because of Jurgen Klopp
They’ve done this because of Jurgen Klopp, who has an excellent relationship with Ings and wants what’s best for the striker this summer.
Klopp knows what Ings has been through over the past few seasons and will wish him the very best as he tries to resurrect his career away from Anfield.
This is a classy move from both Klopp and Liverpool. English players often fetch a premium to sign, but Ings will be available for less money than the Reds could probably get for him.
Like Klopp and the Liverpool hierarchy, the club’s fans will also wish Ings all the best for the future.
Liverpool fans: will you be sad to see Danny Ings leave Anfield? Have your say by leaving a comment below.