Last night saw Southampton talisman Danny Ings depart for pastures new with Aston Villa. 

Almost immediately after the transfer emerged, FLW exclusively learned that The Saints were already closing in on Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong.

The 24-year-old netted 29 Championship goals last time out, narrowly missing out on the golden boot award to the record-breaking total of 31 achieved by Brentford's Ivan Toney.

The season prior, Armstrong scored 17 times for the Lancashire club, proving to be quite the prolific forward with Rovers since arriving on loan in 2018.

Southampton have been in pursuit of the front-man for quite some time now, but Ings' departure is expected to accelerate the club's interest in the Championship man.

However, Newcastle United will complicate the deal to bring Armstrong to the south coast, according to the Express. The Magpies hold a 40% sell-on clause on the forward, meaning Blackburn are demanding a high fee as a result.

The verdict

Southampton have known about Blackburn's high valuation and the reason behind it for a while now, suggesting that they are not entirely put off by it.

They will continue to try and knock the figure down, but Rovers will likely stand resilient for a while.

The fee that Armstrong would generate would go a long way in improving Tony Mowbray's squad, however, the void that Armstrong would leave would need prioritising.

Armstrong operates similarly to Ings, in the way that their speed and attacking intelligence consistently allows them to break opposing lines when attacking, making the Blackburn man a great option for the departed 29-year-old.