After being linked with Liverpool, the stats suggest Burnley's Danny Ings is ready to step up

Danny Ings' impressive displays for Burnley have reportedly attracted interest from Liverpool. Matthew Stanger looks at what he can offer....

One of the more interesting twists in the January transfer window occurred in the final week when Burnley released a statement to clarify reports linking Danny Ings with a move to Liverpool.

“This type of move would violate Premier League rule V7 regarding transfers so simply cannot happen,” said chief executive Lee Hoos after it was suggested the striker could be sold and loaned back for the remainder of the campaign. “This is the last time we will be making any comment regarding the player’s future.”

That quick lesson in Premier League regulations immediately killed any talk of Ings making an imminent move to Anfield but, with his contract ticking towards its expiry in the summer, the Reds remain in the race for his signature. Combined with talk of an offer from David Moyes’ Real Sociedad, it is an exciting time for a player who has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past 18 months.

The first thing Ings must do if he is to continue impressing potential suitors is forget the disappointment of missing out on a big move in the past month. "There has been a lot going on over the last 24 hours for a young player and he looked a little bit lacking in energy today," said Sean Dyche after Ings’ lacklustre showing at Sunderland. “He has had a lot on his plate so we look forward to him getting settled down next week, training again, getting sharp and he will be ready to go.”

It shouldn’t be too difficult to motivate a player lured by the appeal of playing on a bigger stage and Ings knows he must maintain his form to turn speculation into firm offers. If he can keep Burnley in the Premier League in the meantime, it is a win-win situation, ensuring he eventually leaves with the best wishes of the club’s supporters.

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The statistics suggest Ings is ready to make the step up. Having followed his 21-goal return in the Championship last season with seven strikes in 20 Premier League appearances, the pressure to adapt has been met with relish. With Ings also boasting three assists to his name, only 14 players have contributed to more goals so far. That Burnley possess the third-worst attacking record in the division underlines how important it was for them to keep the forward in January, despite the temptation to cash in before his contract expires.

It is easy to see the attraction for Liverpool. While Mario Balotelli has struggled to adjust to Rodgers’ system – with the manager telling the Italian to get used to the bench – Ings is much more suited to his demands. There have even been tentative claims that the 22-year-old is a ‘Suarez-lite’, providing the relentless pressing and movement required to achieve in Liverpool’s attack.

A committed attitude is far from Ings’ only strength, however, with the numbers revealing a quality to his finishing that the Reds have lacked during Daniel Sturridge’s absence. Opta define clear chances as: ‘A situation where a player should reasonably be expected to score, usually in a one-on-one scenario or from very close range.’ Ings has scored five of his eight clear chances so far – the same as Eden Hazard – compared to four out of nine for Raheem Sterling and zero out of seven for Balotelli.

Even experienced marksman Robin van Persie (seven out of 15) and Radamel Falcao (three out of 10) have failed to match Ings’ deadly ratio.

Another vital quality in a developing striker is an eagerness to learn, which Under-21 manager Gareth Southgate has spotted in Ings’ attitude. "I watched a lot of him at Burnley; he's technically a better player than perhaps people sometimes realise,” said Southgate. "He will score goals because he's a real threat in the box; he's a big threat from crosses - low and high - and his mentality is that he wants to learn.

"Every time I've spoken to him about how this season's going he's talked about learning from the experiences, learning from playing against top defenders, learning from watching top strikers. As the season wears on it will only benefit him, definitely."

Burnley will also hope to benefit as they prepare to face every team in the top seven over the next nine matches. It is a make-or-break run for the Clarets but, with Ings leading the line against West Brom on Sunday, they have every chance of maintaining an unlikely survival bid. Liverpool will no doubt be watching with interest.

Watch Burnley v West Brom live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 11.30am on Sunday