Manchester United could now switch their attention to a new forward praised by Pep Guardiola instead of Swedish star Viktor Gyokeres, according to a fresh report from The Athletic.
Manchester United links to Gyokeres
Ruben Amorim's arrival in the Premier League has not gone to plan thus far, with the Red Devils having struggled for any sort of form since he swapped Lisbon for Manchester in November.
One way to rectify the situation is likely to be in the transfer market, and the club have already moved to do just that by signing Patrick Dorgu in January. There is expected to be plenty more business to be done in the summer, with Amorim's former pupil Geovany Quenda among those that the Red Devils are looking to land ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Another player who has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford is Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swede having made his reputation as one of Europe's most elite strikers largely under the tutelage of Amorim.
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Man United are keen on signing a new defender this summer.
There have even been previous reports claiming that a deal has been struck over a move for the forward, who has found the net 34 times in 35 games across all competitions this season.
However, The Athletic now claim that a deal is unlikely for several reasons, despite the link to Amorim. According to their report, Gyokeres "wants to join a Champions League team", while for their part "United would be reluctant to commit that type of money to a player who will turn 27 in June", with any fee expected to be well in excess of £50m.
As a result, "it is considered unlikely that Gyokeres follows Amorim to Old Trafford", which has left United weighing up other options to replace Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in Amorim's strongest starting XI.
Manchester United monitoring £40m ace
One of those options, the report adds, is former Manchester City youth academy talent Liam Delap, who has starred for Ipswich Town this season despite their struggles in the Premier League.
Delap was singled out for praise during his time at Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola explaining in 2022: “He is a killer, a typical British striker, an incredible finisher. He has to improve when he drops and his first touch. He has a special quality. He is a different type of striker.”
However, he never had the chance to impress at the Etihad and moved to Ipswich last summer, where he has found the net nine times already this season, more than Hojlund and Zirkzee combined.
Liam Delap vs Rasmus Hojlund 24/25 Premier League
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It is claimed that "United have been tracking the player this season and he is well-known to technical director Jason Wilcox", with the pair having worked together at City, something that may work in his favour.
Ipswich Town's Liam Delap applauds fans after the match
However, a deal will only be in United's price range if Ipswich Town get relegated, it is added, with the Tractor Boys set to "demand a significant fee for him in the event of top-flight survival", though at this point that outcome looks unlikely.
Chelsea are also strongly linked with a move for the England U21 international, while Manchester City also have a buyback clause in the deal set at £40m, which could act as "a gauge of fee" for other interest.