SAINTS hero Jim McCalliog has warned Danny Ings against the perils of chasing a move to a bigger club, insisting: "It always looks greener on the other side."

Reports emerged last month suggesting the striker had turned down a lucrative new four-year deal at Saints, which would have made him the best paid player in the club's history.

The 28-year-old has just one year remaining on his current deal at Saints, with the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur linked this week, as rumours continue to surface regarding his future.

The Telegraph claim Spurs are ready to make a £20million move for the England man.

Ings has played 100 times for Saints, scoring 46 goals, having initially signed on loan from Liverpool in 2018 and then made the move permanent.

Discussing the speculation surrounding Ings's future, McCalliog, who played a key role in Saints winning the FA Cup in 1976 after joining the club from Manchester United, told the Daily Echo: "Obviously I would like Danny Ings to stay, I don’t know if there’s any truth in that.

"It’s always a bit difficult, when you’ve been doing well and your career in football can be short. And of course with Danny having had those injuries, people seem to be saying he wants to play for a Champions League club.

"I think everybody wants that, but it doesn’t always work out that way.

"I think Southampton has been tremendous for him. He took a while from his injuries to get going but I think you always need to look at things in quite a broad way.

"It always looks greener on the other side but then you get there and you might get injured and there’s a bigger squad and a better squad of players and you might not be a regular player, whereas at the moment he’s regular in the team."

Asked at an online fans' forum in May whether he thought Ings would sign a new deal with Saints, chief executive Martin Semmens said: “I think he probably will.

“Like I’ve said all along, Danny’s been really open and clear with his communication with the club and what he wants to do.

“He’s working hard for us.

“In the end, as I’ve said every time, they are not robots, they don’t have to do what we tell them to do.

“The players are free to make their own choices and Danny will make his own choice but, if you ask me now, I think Danny will be with us next season."