Former Manchester United star Lee Sharpe believes Liam Delap can become a “top, top player” at Old Trafford as the club ramps up efforts to win the red-hot race for the Ipswich Town striker this summer.
Delap is reported to have travelled to Manchester to hold “face-to-face talks” with United, who have landed on the 22-year-old Englishman as their “first-choice” target up front after deals for other high-profile strikers were deemed unrealistic.
Delap’s contract at Portman Road contains a £30 million relegation clause. This has sparked widespread interest across the Premier League in the forward who has scored 12 goals for the Tractor Boys this season.
Newcastle United and Chelsea are rivalling the Red Devils at the front of the queue for Delap with the expectation that the player will negotiate terms with each team before deciding on his next step.
Sharpe – speaking in an exclusive interview with The Peoples Person, courtesy of Coin Poker – contends the 22-year-old would be a “good addition” and “exactly” what United currently need despite his relative inexperience, as Ruben Amorim’s side are closer to a midtable side than one challenging for major honours anyways.
“I think Delap is good enough at the moment. I think Liam Delap and Manchester United are in the same boat at the moment. They’re both middle of the table players and teams”, Sharpe states.
There are doubts whether a striker from Ipswich Town is ready to lead the line at a top club like United. But this judgement is predicated on a perception of the Reds from the past, not the present.
United finished 8th in the league last year. They are on track to end this season in 16th. The current cohort of players at Old Trafford are a distinctly average squad, as back-to-back campaigns have painfully demonstrated.
The goal for Amorim’s side should be incremental improvement based on sensible signings to bridge that gap from midtable mediocrity to title challengers.
From this perspective, a 22-year-old striker from Ipswich Town is an astute option for a team looking to climb the table. But the fact that Arsenal – a side desperate for a proven goal-scorer to help them actually win a Premier League title or Champions League – have not expressed interest in Delap reinforces Sharpe’s point.
“At the moment, I don’t think [Delap is] a top four or top five striker that’s going to help you win the Champions League. But I certainly think he will help a middle table United reach the top six, and then in two years time when the club are more consistent and up there, Delap should have improved enough to be judged on whether he’s a Champions League striker or not.”
The former United star maintains “Delap has the potential to a top, top player” and can “really help [United] improve and the team could help him improve as well” over the next few years.
“I think he’s a good addition, he’s a good player and exactly what United need at this moment in time,” Sharpe concludes.
Featured image Richard Pelham via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
