Aston Villa striker Danny Ings' summer exit for Brighton & Hove Albion 'would come as a surprise' if it goes ahead less than 12 months on from his arrival at Villa Park, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.

Ings joined Villa days before the campaign got underway, with the Midlands club prising him away from boyhood club Southampton after agreeing a £25million fee.

What's the latest news involving Ings?

It appears Ings' stint on Villa's books could prove to be short-lived as, according to Football Insider, Brighton have set their sights on signing the striker when the transfer window reopens.

The report suggests Seagulls boss Graham Potter is keen to add a prolific centre forward to his ranks ahead of next season kicking off and the 29-year-old fits the bill as a result of his vast Premier League experience.

Ings has found the back of the net 106 times over the course of his senior club career, emphasising the fact he is a serious threat in the final third of the pitch.

Despite only being welcomed to the Midlands a matter of months ago, Ings will already enter the final two years of his Villa contract in the summer.

He is also the club's highest-earner, with him raking in £120,000-per-week, so sanctioning the former Liverpool man's departure could allow head coach Steven Gerrard to bring in another big-name star in his place.

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What has Pete O'Rourke said about Ings?

O'Rourke would be shocked if Villa allowed Ings to move onto pastures new when the transfer window reopens.

The frontman's switch to Villa Park went under the radar, with no reports of Ings being on his way to the second city until the deal had already been confirmed.

As a result, O'Rourke does not reckon Gerrard will be willing to offload one of last summer's lucrative arrivals.

O'Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: "It would come as a surprise because Danny Ings arrived last year as a real secret deal. Nobody saw it coming."

How has Ings performed this season?

Ings has headed into the international break with a return of five goals and as many assists over the course of his first 24 appearances for Villa.

His standout performance in claret and blue came against former employers Southampton, with him coming back to haunt the south coast club by notching a goal and two assists.

Unsurprisingly, the three-cap England international was the best player on the pitch, with WhoScored handing him a match rating of 9.

However, Ings has only completed the full 90 minutes on three occasions since Gerrard was appointed as Villa's boss last November.