Manchester City don’t have too many regrets when it comes to players moving on from the Etihad Stadium.
Over the years, several stars who made big contributions for Manchester City have moved on, and it’s very rare that they’ve done better at their new club.
In recent times, there’s obviously been a big focus on Cole Palmer, who City sold to Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for around £42.5 million.
This was seen as great business at the time, but we’ve all seen what’s happened since. Palmer has absolutely flourished at Stamford Bridge, and recently came 25th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.
It’s now widely accepted that Palmer is one of the best players in the Premier League, with some even suggesting him as the outright best.
But for Arsenal legend Ian Wright, there’s actually another player City sold who’s the best in the league right now.
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Ian Wright claims former Man City striker Liam Delap is currently the Premier League’s best player
Liam Delap of Ipswich Town during the Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Leicester City FC at Portman Road on November 02, 2024 in I...
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Liam Delap left Manchester City in the summer to join Ipswich Town, with the deal expected to rise and reach £20 million in total.
Delap had only ever made six appearances for City’s first-team, and it was decided in the last window that he’d be sold after a few loan moves to Championship clubs.
Delap has been a roaring success for the Tractor Boys so far, scoring six goals in 13 appearances.
For Ian Wright, there’s no one better in the division right now. He said on his Wrighty’s House podcast: “Can I just say, the best player for me that I’m seeing at the moment apart from… I mean, I’ve got to mention Baleba at Brighton, just for his little cameo against City.
“But Delap. Liam Delap reminds me of when John Hartson came to Arsenal when he was like 18, 19. (He) don’t care about nobody.
“Very technical. Strong. City have got a buyback clause on him.”
Delap looks the real deal
This is high praise indeed from Wright, and Delap’s stock is already on the rise.
He will almost certainly move on from Ipswich if they get relegated this season, and a number of clubs could end up fighting over him.
City do have a buyback clause on Delap, although it’s not clear how much the club would have to pay to exercise it. The club also have a 20% sell-on clause which would net the club a nice windfall.
Micah Richards admitted he was surprised Man City sold Delap, as he’d seen how many goals he’d scored in the academy.
We’ll see if the club do consider making a move. That said, it was recently suggested City aren’t actually planning to re-sign Delap via their buy-back clause.
But it’s certainly nice to see him thriving in his first season in the top-flight, where he looks very much at home.
He was pretty prolific in the City academy, and he’s already starting to suggest he can be the same at Premier League level.
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