West Ham announce the £12m signing of Danny Ings from Aston Villa as David Moyes adds the firepower needed

West Ham have announced the £12million signing of Aston Villa striker Danny Ings in a bid to fight their way out of relegation woes.

David Moyes is a longtime admirer of the 30-year-old forward, who has scored seven goals in 21 games this season and signed until the end of the 2025 season.

Ings will don the No 18 shirt for West Ham and will be allowed to make his debut in a crucial clash at the foot of the Premier League against Everton tomorrow after paperwork was submitted ahead of Friday’s midday deadline.

West Ham announced the signing of £15million striker Danny Ings from Aston Villa on Friday

Ings expressed his delight at joining the East London club but admitted there is an urgent need to get started.

“I’m delighted to be joining West Ham United,” Ings told the club’s website. “It’s important that I settle in as quickly as possible – and get the important things done on the pitch for West Ham.

“We have some massive games ahead of us – and I came here to try and score as many goals as possible to help the team get some positive results. I am really looking forward to getting started.”

Sportsmail reported West Ham’s interest earlier this month, along with Everton who initially wanted the 30-year-old on loan.

The Liverpool ex-killer could make his debut for the Hammers in their crucial game against Everton

Sportsmail also previously reported that Villa was reluctant to loan the former England international but was willing to listen to permanent offers, particularly after he signed Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire this week.

Ultimately, Moyes and the Hammers hierarchy pulled the trigger to ensure the veteran Premier League striker found a home at the London Stadium.

“I’m delighted to add Danny to the squad,” he told the club’s website. “He is a proven Premier League goalscorer and will add great competition for places in the attacking third.

“We look forward to integrating him into the group as we enter a busy phase of our season.”

Ings scored in Villa’s 2-1 home win against the Toffees earlier this season in mid-August

Ings was brought to Aston Villa from Southampton by former Liverpool manager and team-mate Steven Gerrard but struggled for minutes under acting Villa boss Unai Emery.

Since the Spaniard took over, Ings has managed just 188 minutes in six Premier League games – his only start being a 2-1 win at Brighton, where he scored twice.

Ings has scored 14 goals in 52 games for Villa since joining the club from the Saints for £25million in the summer of 2021.

He has also played in the Premier League for Burnley, Liverpool and Southampton, having come through the youth ranks at Bournemouth when they were in the Football League.

The 30-year-old’s last goal for Aston Villa came on January 4 in the 1-1 draw against Wolves

Ings will most likely bring Premier League know-how and guaranteed goals and a pace of work that suits Moyes’ ethos.

The manager faces a crucial game against his former club Everton on Saturday amid questions about his own future and that of his counterpart Frank Lampard.

Luckily for Moyes, Ings enjoys playing against former Merseyside rivals Everton. The forward has a better record against the Toffees than any other team in his career.

In 15 games against the Blues, Ings has scored seven goals and provided three assists. Earlier this season, he opened the scoring in Everton’s 2-1 defeat at Villa Park.

He has scored seven goals in 21 games for Villa this season despite a supporting role