Aston Villa have sold striker Danny Ings to West Ham United and brought in Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire, but they may target further attacking signings, Dean Jones has suggested to GiveMeSport.

Duran arrived for around £14.8m, and Ings departed for an initial £12m which could rise to £15m, in what now appears to be a like-for-like change, but there may be more to come.

Aston Villa transfer news - strikers

19-year-old Duran arrived having scored eight times for Chicago Fire last season, and whilst talented, is still very raw, particularly in comparison to a proven goalscorer like Ings.

Unai Emery's side have been linked with a number of attackers throughout the transfer window including Arnaut Danjuma, whom the Spaniard signed at Villarreal, and they could make further additions to bolster the squad.

Left-back Alex Moreno has also joined from Real Betis in this window, and the club could be tempted to invest more as they try and make a push to finish higher up the table.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Jones said about Duran and Ings?

Jones has hinted that Duran is unlikely to be the only replacement for Ings given the differences in age and experience between the two players, and that another attacker could arrive, with less than two weeks of the transfer window remaining.

"This is really intriguing, and to be fair when they signed this player, it was for more money than I'd expected and it did make me wonder if this was to signal the end for Danny Ings," he told GiveMeSport.

"I was just sure that they couldn't swap out a player with so much calibre in the Premier League for a player who was coming from Chicago Fire, so I'm still a bit cautious about this one, and I wonder if Villa might have something up their sleeve, as this seems very risky."

Will Villa miss Ings?

The Englishman has scored six league goals for Villa this season, despite making just eight starts, and was definitely a useful option within the squad.

Olly Watkins is the first-choice pick at centre-forward, but reinforcements to the front line may be necessary after losing such an experienced striker, and a mid-season sale of Ings is a risky move if signings do not arrive.

Overall, Ings was not as prolific at Villa Park as he was at his previous clubs, managing just 14 goals in 52 appearances, compared to scoring 46 in 100 games at Southampton.

However, losing an important squad option may hit Villa if Watkins picks up an injury, or Duran does not settle quickly, and it remains to be seen whether they will feel his departure as the season progresses.