Manchester United are reportedly leading the race to sign Liam Delap as at the time of Ipswich Town’s relegation from the Premier League, which has brought a new price tag into play for the striker.
Delap is one of Man Utd’s main targets for the centre-forward position after underwhelming seasons by Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. Currently, their plan is to try and sign Matheus Cunha from Wolves to play as a supporting striker and Delap from Ipswich to lead the line.
There is plenty of competition for Delap’s signature, though, with Chelsea recently said to be confident of winning the race for the 22-year-old and sources telling TEAMtalk that Eddie Howe has been in contact in an effort to take him to Newcastle United.
There will be at least three horses in the race for Delap, then, which is about to come alive after Ipswich’s immediate return to the Championship was confirmed after their loss to Newcastle on Saturday afternoon.
And in the first fresh update about Delap’s future after the final whistle, reporter Nicolo Schira has named Man Utd as the club ‘currently leading the race’.
The price tag for Delap is now fixed after Ipswich lost their Premier League status. Multiple outlets have confirmed his release clause in the event of relegation is worth £30m.
Clubs could still try to negotiate a lower fee, but in this day and age, £30m looks quite inviting for a young striker who managed to score double figures of Premier League goals this season.
Ipswich only signed Delap last summer from Manchester City, so he is still under contract until 2029, but they will be powerless to keep him if anyone meets the price of his exit clause.
A return to Manchester but with United is now possible. The Red Devils could sign both Delap and Cunha via release clauses.
There could be plenty of twists and turns, with the transfer window not due to open until the start of June. Even if Man Utd are leading the race at the moment, they could be overtaken.
Latest Man Utd transfer news
While Cunha and Delap are potential additions to the Man Utd attack, there could be some movement out of Old Trafford.
Marcus Rashford and Antony are already out on loan at Aston Villa and Real Betis respectively, with Fabrizio Romano revealing that neither are expected back next season.
In other news, Man Utd are reportedly considering a hijack of a Tottenham move for a midfielder.
And director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is said to have established contact for what could be a crucial upgrade in another position.
Goalkeeper is the role in question, with Andre Onana under scrutiny for his recent performances. To replace him, Man Utd are now linked with a LaLiga shot-stopper.
Every club linked with Liam Delap
By Ciaran McCarthy
Chelsea – The Blues have perhaps shown the heaviest desire to land the Ipswich star, with TEAMtalk aware they have watched him on multiple occasions since he became a Premier League regular at Portman Road.
Liverpool – Our transfer correspondent Rudy Galetti has confirmed Delap is one of the players the Reds are monitoring as a possible upgrade to Darwin Nunez in 2025.
Manchester City – A buyback clause inserted into his contract at Ipswich means City always harboured some ambition to bring their former academy striker back to the Etihad if he took flight at Portman Road, and reports have suggested they could take the chance to add him to the side to perhaps fit in alongside Erling Haaland.
Manchester United – The progress of the former City man could lead to him being the latest player to don both the red and blue of Manchester – and at a very early stage of his career – with United keeping him in their sights.
Tottenham Hotspur – It’s been suggested that Spurs are ‘particularly keen’ to land Delap and were at one point ‘leading the race’ for him after his bright start at Ipswich, which David Ornstein has suggested could well land him at a big-six side.
Arsenal – The Gunners are expected to move for a new forward soon, and Delap’s progress means he has made his way onto their radar, with links emerging post-Edu, meaning he could be part of a new era for the club.
Newcastle United – The Magpies are keeping an eye on Delap, despite Alexander Isak looking likely to stay at St. James’ Park, with TEAMtalk sources stating Eddie Howe has been in contact for the striker.
Aston Villa – Villa’s interest in Delap hasn’t progressed past the early stages too much after they considered him in January before signing Marcus Rashford.
Everton – Ahead of Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s potential exit as a free agent, Everton joined the race for Delap in early April, as revealed by TEAMtalk sources.
Brighton – Brighton also raised interest in Delap by gathering information on his situation.
Juventus – As a contingency plan for if star striker Dusan Vlahovic has to be sold by the European giants amid contract disputes, Juventus are said to have watched Delap in action, and have their eyes on him as the Serbian star’s successor, in what would be a huge step for him to take, following in some big footsteps.
Borussia Dortmund – Interest outside of England is slowly growing for Delap, with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund linked with his signing.
RB Leipzig – A second Bundesliga side, RB Leipzig, are also said to have taken note of the performances of Delap in his breakout season.
