City move out of the way leaving United with a free run to secure top target’s signature in the summer – report

Manchester United are in dire need of an elite goalscorer moving forwards given the poor run of form Rasmus Hojlund is experiencing this season.

The Dane has not scored in 14 games now and Ruben Amorim is not too impressed with the 22-year-old with INEOS mulling over moving him on in the summer with Italian and English clubs interested in his services.

The head coach’s preferred option would be his Sporting Lisbon protege Viktor Gyokeres but the most recent reports seem to suggest that the striker has aspirations of playing in the Champions League next season, something that United might not be able to offer.

Which is why the Red Devils are keeping their eyes peeled for alternatives and Liam Delap of Ipswich Town is a target as recently relayed by The Peoples Person.

Delap is a top target

Despite Ipswich Town’s struggles in the English top-flight, the 22-year-old has been a revelation, managing nine goals and two assists for the Tractor Boys.

His form and homegrown status have meant plenty of big clubs have been circling with the likes of United and Chelsea expected to swoop should Kieran McKenna’s men get relegated.

But Manchester City would have posed the biggest threat given they have a £29.5 million buyback clause inserted into Delap’s deal with Ipswich.

United’s noisy neighbours could have brought him back only for them to move him on to some other club in a bid to thwart their arch-rivals.

But Football Insider have claimed City have no such plans and United and Chelsea are set to battle it out for the England U21 international next summer.

“Man City are unlikely to activate their buy-back clause for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap this summer, sources have told Football Insider.

City unlikely to trigger buyback clause

“The 22-year-old has adjusted well to the Premier League after joining last summer (2024) but Ipswich are in danger of relegation straight back to the Championship. If the worst happens, it is believed Kieran McKenna’s side will find it too tough to hold onto their talisman in the second tier.

“However, Man City are set to decline the chance to bring Delap back to the Etihad Stadium despite inserting a buy-back clause when he was sold to Ipswich. It is believed City’s transfer team will be concentrating on other areas of the side as they continue a rebuild.”

INEOS clearly are focussing on signing young stars with potential and Delap fits the bill perfectly. In the event of Ipswich getting relegated, the Red Devils could potentially secure him on the cheap, which would be a huge boon given the club’s PSR concerns.

But whether signing another young striker to add to the likes of Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee instead of signing a readymade star means more teething problems, remains to be seen.

Feature image Stephen Pond via Getty Images

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