A Manchester United expert has revealed in what circumstance the Red Devils’ “bulldozing” summer target will be “within their finances”.
Defeat to Tottenham on Sunday leaves United in 15th and looking over their shoulder towards the relegation zone, with Ruben Amorim failing to revert the slide down the table started by Erik ten Hag.
Patrick Dorgu was the only first-team addition in January, and the club’s latest reported financial results make for grim reading.
And that’s why Laura Whitwell, The Athletic’s Manchester United reporter, believes the club may well be relying on Ipswich getting relegated if they’re to secure the signing of Liam Delap, who’s caught the eye for the Tractor Boys this season.
Speaking on the Talk of the Devils podcast, Whitwell revealed that United “have definitely looked” at Delap this season and have a connection to the striker through technical director Jason Wilcox.
He said: “It feels like that has some substance to it. From my perspective, they’ve definitely looked at him.
“Jason Wilcox, who is the technical director, was the academy director when Liam Delap was signed for their [Man City’s] academy, they sold him to Ipswich for something like 20 million.
“So a lot of money for a player who hasn’t played in the Premier League before. But what a season he’s having.
“He scored again at Villa Park, lovely finish, 10 goals in the Premier League now for him, that is some going.
“What I’m told is that if Ipswich go down, the fee would be within United’s finances. If they stay up, maybe not.
“It’s an interesting dynamic, that one. Chelsea are also, of course, all over him, but I feel like that’s a really intriguing sort of prospect, because he fits into that young kind of player that INEOS are after, but he’s got that season of experience, and he is a bulldozing kind of figure, isn’t he?”
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Manchester City could throw a spanner in the works as they hold a £30m buyback option on Delap, who former Red Devils defender Paul Parker reckons would be “absolutely perfect” for Amorim at Old Trafford.
“You could say that Liam Delap is an ideal forward to play for Manchester United, which is easy to say because Manchester United doesn’t have a centre-forward at this moment in time, so Liam Delap would make a massive difference,” Parker said.
“He can take the ball down, fight people off, doesn’t go down easy and he makes those unselfish runs in behind. He would be absolutely perfect for Manchester United and a lot of other teams in the Premier League.”
