By Paul Nicholson
April 29 – Liverpool could pay up to £8 million for Danny Ings, the out-of-contract striker they gained from Burnley last season, ruled a Professional Football Compensation Committee (PFCC) tribunal. It is a record fee ordered by a tribunal.
Burnley, relegated from the Premier League last season but on the verge of returning at the first attempt, will receive £6.5 million with an additional £1.5 million in add-ons plus 20% of any future transfer fee for Ings.
The tribunal was required after Liverpool and Burnley failed to agree compensation for the 23-year-old Ings when he signed for Liverpool last summer. Ings had spend four years at Burnley who were entitled to compensation for his training and time spent at the club because he was under the age of 24.
It is the largest compensation award for an out of contract player in the history of professional football – the previous record was the £3.5 million paid by Chelsea to Manchester City for Daniel Sturridge (now at Liverpool).
Dan Lowen, Head of Regulatory at law firm Couchmans who represented Burnley, said: “Today’s result is a fair and accurate reflection of the enormous contribution Burnley FC has made in helping develop and nurture one of the brightest young talents in the Premier League.
“The £6.5m up front sum awarded by the Professional Football Compensation Committee … recognises that Danny Ings is one of the top young English centre-forwards in English football… Both clubs made detailed submissions to the PFCC on the criteria to be taken into account in determining the compensation payable, including the age of the player, the contracts offered to him by both his training and new club, his playing record, substantiated interest shown by other clubs and the costs incurred by both clubs in the training and development of players generally.”
Since joining Liverpool Ings has spent much of the season injured have played eight times, scoring three goals.
Chief executive of Burnley, David Baldwin, said: “This claim was unprecedented. To our knowledge, the PFCC has never been asked to consider the length of submissions and volume of evidence that was put before it on this matter… we received a ground-breaking award which properly recognises our role in producing a truly top class player.”
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