Liam Delap’s release clause now active as Chelsea plot summer transfer swoop..
Chelsea have identified Liam Delap as a target this summer and Ipswich Town have just been relegated.
Delap, having scored 12 Premier League goals in his breakout campaign, has been identified as a target and now with Ipswich’s relegation back to the Championship confirmed, he will be available at a reduced cost.
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Kieran McKenna’s side were subject to a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, leaving them stranded 15 points from safety with four matches to go. As football.london reported earlier this month, his release clause is now active at £30m as opposed to £40m if they had stayed in the division.
Delap is expected to not be short of suitors in the upcoming transfer window with Manchester United, Newcastle and Liverpool prominently named alongside Chelsea.
A number of others remain unspecified whilst his boyhood club Manchester City hold the advantage over others if they opt for a move.
The Etihad Stadium club agreed a £40m buy-back clause when the 22-year-old moved to Portman Road last year, or if he moves elsewhere they will take 20 percent of the total fee.
“As I’ve said before, I think there’s certainly a possibility that he’s an Ipswich player next year. I don’t think anything’s decided in anyone’s mind.
“But could Liam play for the biggest clubs in the country, the biggest clubs in the world? He certainly can. I fully believe that,” Delap’s manager McKenna admitted not long ago.
“He’s already shown the impact he can have at Premier League level in a team that have really been fighting for everything. I think he can have an outstanding impact at this level.”
However, it was warned: “But he’s also very young and he’s playing his first season of Premier League football.
“He’s not played a huge amount of minutes as a leading striker in a team before, and with it he’s still learning and getting better all the time.
“What’s right for Liam? What’s right for Ipswich? All those factors will come into play in the summer and the right decision will be made. But he’s happy and he’s developing really well here.
“He has the potential. I think he will, in his career, go on to do some really, really good things.”
Man Utd ‘open talks’ with £40m Delap alternative as Romano confirms forward ‘ready to accept’ transfer..
Manchester United have ‘opened talks’ with a £40m striker ahead of the summer transfer window as an alternative to Ipswich’s Liam Delap.
United currently sit 14th in the Premier League after a miserable campaign which has seen Ruben Amorim replace Erik ten Hag as manager but their poor performances and results continue under the Portuguese boss.
There remains hope of a trophy and possible Champions League football next season through Europa League glory as the Red Devils prepare for a semi-final against Athletic Club, with the carrot of competing in Europe’s showcase competition huge for potential new recruits and for those tasked with rebuilding the squad thanks to the money they will receive as a result.
Amorim wants to put his own stamp on the squad having struggled to implement his philosophy and system having arrived in November, with Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and Liam Delap high on the agenda after The Athletic’s David Orsnstein confirmed “the prority is the attack” at Old Trafford.
Delap has a tempting release clause of just £30m but United face significant competition from his signature, with Chelsea thought to be pushing hard to sign the former Manchester City man.
With that battle in mind, CaughtOffside claim the Red Devils have ‘opened talks’ with Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Frenchman has been in stunning form this season, with his outstanding goal against Arsenal in the 2-2 draw at the Emirates on Wednesday taking his season tally to 17 in all competitions, while he’s also provided three assists.
The report claims ‘initial contact’ has been made with the striker, though Bayern Munich also ‘like the player and could move for him in case Harry Kane leaves’, while Juventus are also keeping tabs.
Palace meanwhile are preparing for his potential exit, with Borussia Monchengladbach’s Alassane Plea being targeted as a possible replacement for the 27-year-old.
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