Manchester United will supposedly have to battle Chelsea, Juventus and other European clubs to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap.
Prior to the start of the season, Ipswich were seen by some as the favourites to finish last considering they had remarkably earned consecutive promotions from League One to reach the Premier League.
While the Blues are second last in the top flight, they are at least within touching distance of the safety given their tally of nine points is the same as 17th-placed Crystal Palace.
During their time in the division, Delap's tenacity in the box and ability to hold play up has caught the eye, and he has already managed to score six times, just one fewer than Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
According to TheMirror, Man United boss Ruben Amorim will have to battle Chelsea and Juventus for his signature in the summer should the Red Devils look to materialise their interest.
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Who needs Delap the most?
United's goalscoring issues under previous boss Erik ten Hag were profound, with the side having only netted eight times in nine league matches under the Dutchman this season.
The team have scored once in one fixture under Amorim so far, and considering forwards Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho have only netted 10 Premier League goals between them in 2024-25, links to Delap make some sense.
However, the United boss will at least want to see if he can make the most of the talent at his disposal, while Chelsea will feel that boss Enzo Maresca can maximise the talent of players like Jackson.
Chelsea and United would also likely find it difficult to justify even further expenditure in the forward line considering both clubs have spent heavily in that department in recent years.
As for Juventus, striker Dusan Vlahovic has long been linked with a move away from the Italian side, but with his deal set to expire in the summer of 2026, it makes sense as to why the Old Lady would hold interest in the 21-year-old Ipswich player.
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Too soon?
If Delap was to transfer from Ipswich to a club like Manchester United, he might encounter issues regarding playing time considering the demands placed on players at Europe's biggest clubs.
Indeed, while the Red Devils have no doubt floundered in front of goal and could use with extra firepower in attack, there is a chance that Delap could struggle to have much of an impact due to the problems that have affected all of United's forwards.
At Ipswich under the guidance of Kieran McKenna, the striker has started 11 of his side's 13 Premier League games, and he has been allowed to iron out any rustiness in his game without having the spotlight thrust on him.
Perhaps staying at Ipswich beyond the current season would be the best course of action for the 21-year-old, especially as he is assured of his place in the starting XI irrespective of occasional poor performances.
However, the allure of playing for European royalty would no doubt be tempting, and if Delap continues his strong form for Ipswich, then he could very well be the subject of a bidding war in the summer.
Lewis Nolan
