Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap.
The Red Devils are enduring a torrid campaign and dropped to 15th in the Premier League table following a 1-0 away defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. INEOS, co-owners of the club, are pursuing a new solution at the end of the season. The focus appears on signing players who are in their early 20s with potential—such as January recruit Patrick Dorgu from Lecce.
Now, according to a newspaper iNews, Manchester United have identified Liam Delap as a potential target and he could be available for £40million this summer. However, they could face competition from Chelsea for the striker’s signature.
Signed in a £15m deal from Manchester City last summer, Liam Delap has been nothing short of a revelation for Ipswich Town in his breakout Premier League season. The Englishman bagged his tenth goal of the top-flight campaign in a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa at Villa Park last weekend, enhancing his reputation further.
Liam Delap to Manchester United—Right option?
Manchester United had problems putting the ball in the back of the net last season. To solve those woes, they signed Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in the summer of 2024. But Zirkzee has barely done anything to provide the Red Devils with a solution to their problem, netting only three goals in 25 Premier League appearances.
Rasmus Hojlund, a big-money capture from Atalanta in 2023, seems to have regressed this season. He has only netted two goals in 20 league appearances, while Marcus Rashford was frozen out of the squad by new head coach Ruben Amorim and then farmed out on loan to Aston Villa during the winter transfer window.
Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres is Ruben Amorim’s top striker target, but Man United don’t have the finances to meet the Portuguese club’s demands. Liam Delap is one of Gyokeres’ alternative targets and his £40million price tag should fall within the Red Devils’ budget.
Liam Delap has been impressive for Ipswich Town, leading their charge to maintain top-flight status with 10 goals and two assists. Blessed with a unique blend of pace, power and physicality, the Winchester-born talent has routinely bullied Premier League defenders this season. He can unleash shots with both feet, hold-up play and give Amorim’s side a much-needed presence up top.
At 22, Delap would fit the bill at Old Trafford. He would be an upgrade on both Hojlund and Zirkzee in terms of scoring goals if the present is anything to go by. Man City have the option to re-sign the England youth international at the end of the campaign, but with Erling Haaland an undisputed first-choice striker and tied to a lengthy contract, they are likely to pass up that option.
This could give Man United a chance to sign Liam Delap, who has all the raw ingredients in his game to thrive in Amorim’s system and provide his team with a regular source of goals.
