Danny Ings to Liverpool: Reds may have to pay record £8m tribunal fee to secure free agent

The previous highest compensation fee was £6.5m for Daniel Sturridge

Danny Ings scored 11 Premier League goals for Burnley last season (Getty Images)

Liverpool may have to pay as much as £8 million to sign Danny Ings despite the striker's Burnley contract expiring this summer, according to reports.

The Reds remain favourites to secure the services of the 22-year-old despite Tottenham lining up an eleventh-hour £12 million bid, and had hoped to bring Ings to Anfield for a compensation fee of around £4 million.

However, the Daily Mail reports that the striker, who scored 11 goals despite Burnley finishing 19th in the Premier League, could be subject to a record compensation payment of £8 million.

As Ings is under 24, Burnley are entitled to a development fee if he leaves the club when his contract runs out on June 30 and, if the clubs cannot agree a sum, the fee will be decided by the Professional Football Compensation Committee. The previous highest valuation in such a move was afforded to current Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, whose move from Manchester City to Chelsea in 2010 eventually earned City £6.5m.

Brendan Rodgers is desperate to secure a proven Premier League striker after Liverpool struggled to find the net during their underwhelming campaign.

The club's four recognised forwards - Sturridge, Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini - contributed just eight Premier League goals as the Reds finished sixth.

Christian Benteke has also been strongly linked with a move to Anfield, with Tim Sherwood saying that it would be "impossible" for Aston Villa to stop the Belgian from leaving if his "substantial" release clause - thought to be £32.5 million - is met by Liverpool.