Everton could come face-to-face with one of their reported January transfer targets on Saturday after Danny Ings agreed a permanent switch to West Ham United.
The 30-year-old former Liverpool forward has scored six Premier League goals for Aston Villa this season but is now set to join up with ex-Blues boss David Moyes in East London after a £15m deal was confirmed by Sky Sports.
Everton had been linked with a move for Ings earlier in the month, with reports suggesting they had approached Villa regarding a possible loan move but were turned down.
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Blues manager Frank Lampard would not be drawn on the speculation when asked about Ings in his pre-match press conference ahead of his side's FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester United. He said: “I am not talking about Danny Ings, but both options you mentioned there, loan, obligation or buying players, all things are on the table.
“I am never going to sit here and talk about finances because it is not my strength to give you the detail enough on that, but we want to improve the squad in January."
If interest in Ings was genuine, it can now be discarded to the rubbish bin, however, with the three-cap England international seemingly on his way to West Ham.
And Ings could line-up against Everton as early as Saturday, when Lampard takes his team to the capital for a six-pointer match-up with the Hammers in the Premier League. The two teams are level on 15 points in the relegation zone
Ings has a particularly good scoring record against the Blues having netted seven times in 15 appearances across his career, while representing Burnley, Liverpool, Southampton and Aston Villa.
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