Yes please but without a midfield I can't see the point.

This simply doesn’t look links an SP signing circa 2023. Not especially cheap and limited resale value. A panic buy / short term fix, and our chairman, outwardly at least, shows no sign of panicking.

Massive "yes" from me. Apart from the fact that 30 is no longer old in the context of today's game, he's a proven, experienced, "proper" forward of the sort we haven't had for some time. Edouard, Mateta, and Ayew, particularly the first two, simply have no proven pedigree in the PL and frankly, it shows. Ings' injury history is my only reservation but given that players of his ilk and record don't often become available, it's a risk I'd be prepared to take.

If we are in for Ings, I have to wonder if we're not trying to sell one of Edouard or Mateta. I can't see Parish wanting four highly-ish paid strikers on the books at the same time.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

While I don't entirely disagree with your assessment, the trouble is that an average striker (and more importantly, a PROVEN average PL striker) is better than anything we have at present. And we need someone better than we have at present urgently. So he'd be an upgrade, maybe not the one I'd ideally want but we could do a lot worse and he's one I'd settle for.

As for this profile slavery that's presently in vogue, it makes no sense for a club to hold itself prisoner to some sort of abstract age idea (unless the player is 34 or 35). The fact is that a 30-year-old should, all things being equal, be able to see through a two or three-year contract without any age-related decline in their performance. It's absolute madness to not sign a player you need simply because he's 30. Sure, if there's an equivalent available who's 25, you'd rather sign him but I don't see any reasonably-priced, 25-year-old proven PL strikers with Ings' track record on the market for a sensible fee.

Lastly, even if you personally disagree with Ings as a target, he's hardly "silly season". Might not be your choice but he's a realistic, sensible, affordable target who might be available. "Silly season" would be linking us with Grealish, not Ings.

Sydenham by birth. Selhurst by the Grace of God.

Seeing that our current choice of centre forward is the wrong side of 30 with 5 goals in 96 appearances I'd suggest that pretty much anyone else would fit our profile!

Don't waste your time with jealousy. Sometimes your ahead, sometimes your behind, the race is long. But in the end it's only with yourself!!

Before it's confirmed that, as usual, we've signed no-one, but have sent some of the young 'uns out on loan.

Palace since 19 August 1972. Palace 1 (Tony Taylor) Liverpool 1 (Emlyn Hughes)