Middlesbrough set to sign West Ham free agent with 72 Premier League goals

Former West Ham striker Danny Ings is in talks with Championship outfit Middlesbrough over a move to the North East club on a free transfer this summer.

The 32-year-old ended his two year stay at the London Stadium this summer. Ings made 69 appearances for West Ham, scoring five goals and picking up five assists.

The striker had become a fringe player under Graham Potter, even with injuries to £27 million man Niclas Fullkrug and club stalwart Michail Antonio. He played just 405 minutes across 17 appearances last season with his only goal coming against Fulham under Julen Lopetegui last September.

The former Burnley and Liverpool bagsman is set to return to the Championship for the first time since 2014, when he played in the division with the Clarets. Ings began his professional journey in League Two with AFC Bournemouth before achieving promotion to League One and then moving to the second tier when joining Burnley.

West Ham free agent in talks with Championship club

He helped the Clarets into the Premier League and went on to cement himself a top flight striker with time at Liverpool, Southampton and Aston Villa. Ings scored a total of 72 Premier League goals across 240 outings.

Middlesbrough are now managed by former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards, having sacked Michael Carrick earlier this summer. Ings could be the first Boro signing under Edwards ahead of the upcoming Championship campaign. The club takes on Swansea at the Riverside Stadium on August 9.

Reporting the transfer links, journalist Luke Edwards wrote on social media platform X: “Danny Ings is on the verge of signing for Middlesbrough. Would be a really good signing for Championship club.”

Danny Ings shares Hammers farewell message

Ings wrote a short message on Instagram when his departure from West Ham was confirmed. He said: “It’s not easy leaving a football club when you have so many close relationships, I just want to say a big thank you to the fans and everyone at West Ham. I wish you all the best for the future.”

Ings had been heavily linked with a move to newly promoted Championship side Wrexham but the Welsh side now look set to miss out. Speaking about Ings, alongside Vladimir Coufal and Lukasz Fabianski, ahead of their departures Potter said: “As the Club’s statement said, they’ve all made an amazing contribution and been part of a really successful period for the Club.

“They’ve conducted themselves impeccably, certainly from my time here. I can only speak highly of them. They’ve been fantastic professionals on and off the pitch. They’re all really good people, who have had a fantastic career, and we obviously wish them well in the next stage of their career.”

In other news, West Ham handed pre-season injury blow ahead of Sunderland and Chelsea.