Liverpool confident of winning race to sign Danny Ings in the summer

Liverpool are confident that they will win the race to sign Burnley striker Danny Ings ahead of Real Sociedad and are prepared to pay a nominal £5m fee for the striker in the summer, according to the Daily Mail.

Brendan Rodgers has made sprucing up their attack his top priority for the summer and is likely to recoup money by selling the likes of Mario Balotelli, who has been a massive disappointment this season. The former Manchester City man has not scored a single Premier League goal this campaign, in spite of commanding a premium of £16m in the summer.

Ings has been in brilliant form for Burnley, scoring 10 goals and assisting four in the league and will be a valuable asset under Rodgers' guidance should he decide to move.

Manchester United were also reported to be interested in the player, but are yet to make an enquiry, with Louis van Gaal looking at more revered targets.

The Reds will face competition from David Moyes, who is currently plying his trade with Sociedad and has urged the striker to make a move to Spain where he will be guaranteed a position in the starting XI, which is unlikely at Anfield given their line-up and expected business in the market.

Ings will be a brilliant addition for Rodgers, who will have Divock Origi coming into the side next season and a fully fit Daniel Sturridge, who has been plagued with a series of injuries throughout the calender year.

The Reds are also looking to invest in the midfield, especially with Steven Gerrard set to leave in the summer and a few other players nearing their sell-on date.

The departure of Luis Suarez has created a major vacuum for the Premier League side and the manager has to loosen his purse to close the gap between themselves and the other teams in the top four, who are likely to sign major players in the summer.

Manchester United are preparing a windfall of more than £100m in the summer, which should elevate them to being title challengers, while the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea are also looking keenly into the market.