Manchester United wanted to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in the summer, but the 22-year-old striker opted to join Chelsea instead.
The summer transfer window was a busy period for Manchester United.
After a dreadful 2024/25 campaign, United signed five players with a strong emphasis on strengthening the attack after saying goodbye to Alejandro Garnacho.
However, United had an array of targets, and some of them opted to sign for other clubs.
Viktor Gyokeres was linked with reuniting with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford, but he joined Arsenal with ambitions to win the Premier League in his first season.
The Swede wasn’t the only forward player to attract interest from United without signing for the club.
An impressive season in the Premier League with Ipswich Town led to Liam Delap becoming a United target before he signed for Chelsea in a £30 million deal.
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Photo by Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images
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The apparent reason Delap chose to join Chelsea over United comes down to Champions League qualification.
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After suffering relegation with Ipswich Town, Delap decided he wanted his next move to a club competing in Europe’s most prestigious competition.
United missed the opportunity to qualify for the Champions League when they lost the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.
To avoid the same issue next summer, United will need to finish in one of the Champions League spots, and they are currently three points adrift of the top four.
Reliable reporter Ben Jacobs claims Carlos Baleba remains a target for United, but warned that Adam Wharton’s preference is to join a team in the Champions League.
“Carlos Baleba is in many ways a dream target for Manchester United, Adam Wharton, let’s see if he signs a new contract,” Jacobs told The United Stand.
“You’ll get a lot of speculation; it’s all good speculating, but if he signs a new deal, that may take the summer move off the table.
“What I’m told as well with Adam Wharton is that he’s more in that category, like Liam Delap, who wants to leave for Champions League football, so if Manchester United can get that this season, they’d be in a stronger position.”
United failed to sign Baleba last summer, but the Brighton midfielder has struggled for form this season.
Elliot Anderson is also a primary target for United after pulling up trees in Nottingham Forest’s midfield.
Liam Delap struggling at Chelsea
United won’t regret missing out on Delap in the summer because he has struggled since joining Chelsea.
Delap has scored just one goal in eight appearances for Chelsea, with many of his performances being below par.
He scored 13 goals in 46 games for Ipswich last season, but it looks like he might struggle to reach double figures in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.
The jury is still out for United’s new striker Benjamin Sesko, too.