Manchester City Could Sign Ex-Liverpool Striker, Not Haaland, As Aguero's Replacement: Report

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing ex-Liverpool striker Danny Ings instead of Erling Haaland as a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero.

Ings, who made a permanent move from Liverpool to Southampton in 2019, has restored himself as one of the top scorers in the Premier League. With 22 goals, he had finished as the joint-second leading goalscorer in the league last season.

Ings is currently contracted with Southampton until 2022. While the St. Mary's club wants to tie him down in a new deal, the 28-year-old Englishman has not agreed to any new terms, Sky Sports has reported.

Aguero, who moved from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City in the summer of 2011, is the Etihad club's all-time highest goalscorer, having netted 257 goals in 384 competitive matches over the years. He is currently the fourth-highest goalscorer in the Premier League history (181 goals) and the highest non-English scorer in the English top-flight league. The 32-year-old striker's current contract with Manchester City is due to expire at the end of the ongoing season and the Argentinian has been linked to several top European clubs, including FC Barcelona.

Even though Manchester City are sitting comfortably at the top of the league table despite Aguero making a negligible contribution, his departure will no doubt leave a void in the team. The Sky Sports report has stated that identifying an ideal replacement for Aguero is one of Manchester City's top priorities right now.

The club has been exploring the best strikers across the globe. Recently it was reported that the Premier League leaders could land Dortmund's Haaland this summer. But with Haaland also being chased by Real Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool and others — and his market value is said to be around $90 million — Ings has been identified as a more achievable option by Pep Guardiola's side.

Manchester City is set to face Haaland's Dortmund in the quarter-final of the Champions League next month. After the Champions League draw was announced last week, Guardiola was quizzed about the fixture and Haaland's potential move to Etihad this summer.

"He's one of the best strikers in the world right now at his age. If we want him at Manchester City? You understand I can't answer this question. He's a Borussia Dortmund player, so I can’t say anything. Dortmund is tough but all of them would have been. We have to discover how they are as a team, do a good first game and then the second one. The best team will go through, no more secrets. We have two weeks to analyze their games, how they do and that's all," Guardiola had said in an interview.