After a great season last term and a superb start to this one, the media is saying Danny Ings is about to sign a new contract, but should Saints fans be worried about the fact there may be clauses in it.

After an injury hit first season at St Mary's on an initial loan, there were those that questioned Danny Ings ability to stay fit and to score goals, last season answered those questions with Ings starting 32 Premier League games plus the other 6 off the bench and scoring 22 goals, plus another 3 goals in cup competitions.

This season has seen him start just as well with 4 goals in the opening 5 league games, as well as a goal for England against Wales, and now it seems that Saints want to reward the striker with a new deal.

That is good news for Saints fans, but the media reports also say that the contract is likely to include release clauses.

This may alarm some Saints supporters, why would there be a release clause in the contract ? the answer is simple, at 28 Ings would possibly be signing the last big deal of his career, as it is his current term will take him to the age of 30 and for strikers that is a good age.

So whilst it is good that both club and player seem eager to improve his current terms, it perhaps has to come with a safeguard and tat would be possibly in the shape of a release clause stating that should a club of a certain stature or willing to pay a certain fee then the club would not stand in his way and allow him to depart.

From Ings perspective as much as he is enjoying his football at St Mary's and is content to stay, in the back of the mind he must feel frustrated that his time at Liverpool didn't work out through no fault of his own, should a big club come in for him then no one could blame him if he wanted to have one last shot at the big time.

In reality as we know from several big name departures in the past half dozen years, a contract means little these days, the likes of Virgil Van Dijk and Jose Fonte were both barely into the first year of long term deals at the club when they suddenly decided that they wanted to leave.

That would be the same with Danny Ings, but it is important for Saints to recognise his ambitions and align them with their own.

So I would say that we have little to worry about that the clause is inserted, for several reasons the main ones being that firstly it will set the details of his release in stone and secondly as contracts are barely worth the paper they are written on these days, what does it matter anyway.

On the plus point it would be good to see Ings rewarded for his contribution to the club and show others we are willing to reward performances on the pitch.

Photo: Action Images

SanMarco added 16:40 - Oct 19 Yes - it feels like Ings is younger due to all the time he has missed. As you say if he wants that one last chance at a 'big' club then he would have to go sooner rather than later. He is at his peak now. I just hope that the release clause sets a good high fee and not one that Levy would find attractive. I also, of course, fervently hope that he doesn't go anywhere.
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ElijahK added 17:04 - Oct 19 I mean I get why we’ve got this release clause, but until Adams becomes more consistent this isn’t the greatest idea as if Adams carries on like last season and we don’t get a decent replacement then we could be in a relegation battle! I mean if his release clause if like £50mill+ then it’ll be all down to what that money is used on (as most likely it will disappear just like Van Dijk’s and Mane’s!), I mean this could go either way...

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arthurfane added 17:10 - Oct 19 Similar view to you, SanMarco; hope he doesn't leave but wouldn't begrudge him a big move if the money is right. What do people think a reasonable release clause would be? Ralph mentioned £100m but that would be a little farcical - would £75m be unreasonable for a clinical goalscorer like him? Another season of 25 or so league goals would suggest not. I think it'd likely be £50m.

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underweststand added 17:58 - Oct 19 Looking at the fees paid out for some of the "big names " already in the Prem. - some of whom haven't come anywhere near Danny's tally - anything like ......£50 million...would be a disgrace and make easy pickings for clubs who spend £60-70 million on "untried players" who rarely make the grade. Claiming that at 28 he's reached his peak is also a fallacy - just look at the man who beat him last season.. Jamie Vardy is 32 and still going strong. IF ...there was any chance that he might leave ...(hopefully not) ..then we ought to go for a jackpot price ... you can be sure that the fee for any likely replacement would suddenly double /treble as soon as we make an enquiry ..and we don't want another Carrillo.

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Saintpaul120 added 21:21 - Oct 19 He might just like being one of 3 'dyed in the wood' Saints supporting players playing for their boyhood club, and like the adulation which comes from that once we get fans back in the stadium. We can always wish we keep hold of a fully fit & firing Danny Ings to the end of his career!!!
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Saintpaul120 added 21:21 - Oct 19 He might just like being one of 3 'dyed in the wood' Saints supporting players playing for their boyhood club, and like the adulation which comes from that once we get fans back in the stadium. We can always wish we keep hold of a fully fit & firing Danny Ings to the end of his career!!!
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SaintPaulVW added 23:11 - Oct 19 Hopefully we can do well enough this season to keep him here. Not sure you can blame him if we bump along in the bottom half of the premier League again and someone turns his head by dangling a big payday and European football under his nose in the autumn of his career.
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