Liam Delap’s outstanding form could cost Ipswich Town in the summer, according to The Athletic, with Chelsea and Manchester United interested in the 21-year-old attacker. Manchester City, on the other hand, has a clause that allows them to re-sign him, which might jeopardise both teams’ moves.
When Manchester City enabled Delap to leave permanently in the summer, they did so with an insurance policy.
Liam, the son of former Stoke City long-throw specialist Rory, had been loaned out to three different Championship clubs in the previous two seasons but had failed to impress. Liam scored three goals in 23 appearances for Stoke, but only once in 15 games for Preston.
A loan to Hull City for the 2023-24 season was more productive, with eight goals in 32 games, but it wasn’t the kind of form that would get the big boys pounding on your door.
Ipswich took a risk on the 21-year-old following their promotion to the Premier League, and his robust and muscular approach appears to be better suited to the top tier. He’s scored six goals in 12 league appearances this season, trailing only two behind his total from Hull.
Liam’s progress has propelled him to the England Under-21 squad, where he scored on his debut against Luxembourg in September.
However, Manchester City evidently recognised they had cultivated a rough diamond, as the club included a clause in the £20 million agreement with Ipswich that allows them to re-sign him. There is no information on how, when, or how much it will cost City to bring Delap back, but it puts them in a position to obstruct their rivals’ ambitions.
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