Manchester United transfer news: Louis van Gaal looks to replace Radamel Falcao with Danny Ings despite Liverpool interest

Ings is out of contract with Burnley at the end of the season and could be available to sign now due to a Premier League loophole

Burnley striker Danny Ings (Getty Images)

Manchester United may have found an unlikely replacement for Radamel Falcao after they were linked with a move for up-and-coming English striker Danny Ings.

Ings is out of contract with Burnley at the end of the season, and the Clarets are facing the very real prospect of losing him on the cheap. Despite the relegation candidates set to earn around £5m from a tribunal given that he is a home-grown product under the age of 24, a Premier League loophole under Rule U8 means that United could move now and agree a deal with both the club and player to sign him when his current deal expires.

Any move would need to be ratified by a Premier League board, but as the Daily Mail reports, the Red Devils could look to bring in Ings in a bid to replace both Falcao and Robin van Persie – who also faces an uncertain future at the club.

United manager Louis van Gaal appears to have settled on a 4-3-3 formation after much tinkering during the first half of the season, and it has seen captain Wayne Rooney spearhead the side in a return to form for both the England skipper and the United side as a whole.

The purple patch has come at the same time as Van Persie’s long-term absence through injury, having not played since the February defeat to Swansea, while Falcao is firmly out of favour under Van Gaal and it seems almost nailed on that the club will not follow-up the £43.2m option they have to sign the Colombian striker permanently.

Liverpool had appeared to be leading the race to sign Ings in the summer, although former United manager David Moyes had publicly expressed an interest in bringing to 22-year-old to Real Sociedad as he continues to rebuild his managerial career in Spain. Tottenham and Manchester City have also been linked with Ings, although the forward appears to be putting his future talks on the backburner to focus on trying to keep Burnley in the Premier League.

Falcao looks to be on his way out of United in the summer (GETTY IMAGES)

Ings is held in high esteem across the top flight and the expectation is that he will receive a first England cap in the near future, although the attacking options that Three Lions manager Roy Hodgson finds himself with could see that delayed somewhat with Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, Harry Kane, Charlie Austin and Rooney all making their case loud and clear this season.

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