Manchester City have reportedly identified Southampton striker Danny Ings as an ideal replacement for Sergio Aguero this summer.
Aguero's contract at the Etihad is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and there is a growing expectation that this year will be his last in sky blue.
Should the Barcelona-linked Argentine indeed depart, City are expected to prioritise the signing of a new forward - having been heavily linked with Borussia Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland - but a move for Kylian Mbappe is supposedly off the cards.
However, Sky Sports News claims that with an intense bidding war set to take place for the £100m-rated Haaland, City will instead turn their attention to Ings, whose contract situation at St Mary's is also uncertain.
The 28-year-old is tied down to the Saints until 2022, and while manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has previously expressed optimism over a new deal, Ings may decide to seek out a move to a Champions League club in the near future.
The former Liverpool man has endured another injury-hit campaign on the South Coast, but he nevertheless boasts eight goals and three assists from 22 Premier League appearances in the 2020-21 season.
Ben Knapton
