Burnley striker Danny Ings has made it clear to Tottenham Hotspur that it is his preference to join Liverpool this summer in spite of the London club's continued attempts to muscle in on the deal.
As The Independent revealed yesterday, Spurs have been persistent in their interest in Ings, who is a free agent next week and available for a training compensation fee of around £5m-6m. Burnley have been eager to earn as much as possible for the 22-year-old, and Spurs have offered to pay over the odds for the player.
However, it is Ings' long-standing preference to join Liverpool, where he has been a long-term target for manager Brendan Rodgers. It will not be Burnley's choice which club the player joins, and if a compensation fee cannot be agreed with Liverpool through negotiation, it will have to be set by tribunal.
The England Under-21 striker is on holiday ahead of the European Championship next month and hopes to resolve his situation before Gareth Southgate's squad travel to the Czech Republic. He has attracted interest from a range of clubs, including Manchester United, and, in Europe, Real Sociedad and Borussia Mönchengladbach, but it has always been his first choice to join Liverpool.
It is unclear why Spurs have continued to pursue Ings despite it being made clear to them that the player has established Liverpool as his first choice. Spurs have missed out on Jay Rodriguez, who has signed a new contract at Southampton, and Morgan Schneiderlin, who wants to join Arsenal. Spurs are also trying to negotiate a deal for the 24-year-old Burney right-back Kieran Trippier and would like to pay a combined fee for him and Ings.
Burnley have to make an offer of a new contract to Ings in order for them to be entitled to compensation on an out-of-contract player under the age of 24. – The Independent