MX23RW : Monday, October 7 02:08:29| >> :120:11166:11166:

Liam Delap 'chooses next club' as Man City 'accept' two bids rising to £20m

Ipswich, Southampton have £20m bids 'accepted' for Man City forward
© Reuters
Manchester City reportedly accept two bids rising to £20m from Ipswich Town and Southampton for forward Liam Delap, who has chosen which club he would prefer to join.

Manchester City have reportedly accepted two bids from Ipswich Town and Southampton for young forward Liam Delap.

The 21-year-old joined the Citizens' academy from Derby County in 2019 and established himself as one of the club's brightest prospects in their Elite Development Squad.

Delap scored 35 goals in 36 appearances for Man City's Under-23s squad, before scoring his first senior goal just 18 minutes into his debut in an EFL Cup win over Bournemouth in September 2020.

Since then, Delap has made just five more first-team appearances for Man City and has been sent out on loan to three different Championship teams to showcase his talent and gain valuable experience.

Delap, son of long-throw expert Rory Delap, endured a challenging 2022-23 season during loan spells at Stoke City and then Preston North End, scoring only four goals across 38 matches.

The striker then made the move to Hull City and scored eight goals in 31 league appearances as the Tigers narrowly missed out on the playoffs - finishing seventh and three points behind the top six.

Hull City's Liam Delap celebrates scoring their second goal on April 27, 2024© Reuters

Delap favour Ipswich move over Southampton

Delap still has two years remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, but with his pathway into Pep Guardiola's first-team plans seemingly blocked by the likes of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez, a permanent exit now appears to be on the cards.

According to The Athletic, newly-promoted Premier League duo Ipswich and Southampton have both had offers worth an initial £15m plus £5m in potential add-ons accepted by Man City.

However, the report adds that Delap has chosen to join Ipswich and is expected to undergo a medical on Wednesday, with an agreement over personal terms not anticipated to be an issue.

Southampton are believed to have been admirers of Delap for some time and saw a bid in the region of £16m turned down by Man City in the summer of 2022.

Russell Martin's side have tried their luck again this summer, but appear to have lost out to Ipswich in the race for his signature - the Tractor Boys secured automatic promotion from the Championship after finished second last season, while Southampton were triumphant in the playoffs.

Ipswich, managed by Kieran McKenna, have already been busy at the start of the summer transfer window, spending a club-record fee on Omari Hutchinson following a successful loan spell from Chelsea last season, and recruiting Ben Johnson on a free transfer from West Ham United.

The Tractor Boys are also said to be in advanced talks with Hull over a £35m double deal to sign defender Jacob Greaves and winger Jaden Philogene - the former has been granted permission to undergo a medical, while an agreement is in principle for the latter to make the move to Portman Road.

ID:547784:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5345:

Click here for more stories about Liam Delap

Click here for more stories about Manchester City

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Jaden Philogene of Hull City on May 4, 2024 (IMAGO)
Read Next:
Could Jaden Philogene turn down Barcelona for a Premier League newcomer?
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool76011321118
2Manchester CityMan City7520178917
3Arsenal7520156917
4Chelsea7421168814
5Aston Villa7421129314
6Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton73311310312
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle733187112
8Fulham7322108211
9Tottenham HotspurSpurs7313148610
10Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest724176110
11Brentford73131313010
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham72231011-18
13Bournemouth7223810-28
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd722358-38
15Leicester CityLeicester7133912-36
16Everton7124715-85
17Ipswich TownIpswich7043614-84
18Crystal Palace7034510-53
19Southampton7016415-111
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves7016921-121


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!