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There has been a sense of urgency around Liverpool's supposed transfer dealings already, which seems to be more a product of the catastrophic finish to the season than any actual urgency. Brendan Rodgers' fate is supposedly secure, but with his end-of-season review yet to take place and the shadow of the looming Klopp hanging over his every move, the club don't appear entirely certain who's going to be leading the squad out, let alone who's going to actually be in the squad.
Reports of bids for Nathaniel Clyne, Mateo Kovacic, and, in the coming days, Christian Benteke have contributed to that urgency, of course, as has the ongoing Danny Ings saga. Liverpool's interest was first reported in January, when talk of a pre-arranged deal emerged, and now it seems that Merseyside is the favored destination for the 11-goal Burnley man, whose contract for the relegated side will expire at the end of June.
Ings is expected to make a decision regarding his future before shipping off with the England U21 squad for the Euros in the next week, which has appeared to be a choice between Liverpool and Spurs, who were rumored to have a £12m bid for the striker's services accepted in the past few days. Even if he still chooses Liverpool, that will likely drive up any tribunal fee that Liverpool would have to pay in compensation to Burnley, with most reports indicating it's now closer to £8m--which would be a world-record fee--than the £4m they had previously planned.
It's still odds-on that he joins Brendan Rodgers' side, but talk of a move abroad has resurfaced, with the Spanish press reporting that Real Sociedad are still hopeful of finding a way to bring him along on David Moyes' great San Sebastian adventure. Both Marca and Cadena Ser ran with flattering quotes from club president Jokin Aperribay, and suggest that a delegation of representatives from the Basque club are in London to try to work something out.
The move would be a steal for La Real, who wouldn't have to pay a tribunal fee, meaning they would be able to bring him aboard for a fee far, far less than Liverpool or Spurs. But with Ings reportedly preferring a move to Liverpool, it's still not an especially likely outcome, and few will be surprised if the 24-year-old announces by weeks' end that he'll be making the move to Anfield once his duties for England this summer are all wrapped up.
And, if England tradition holds, that'll be shortly after the group stages.
