Manchester City could earn millions in the summer without lifting a finger having installed various clauses on more than a dozen academy sales in recent seasons
Sport
Liam Delap
Former Manchester City striker Liam Delap has been linked with a summer move to Manchester United or Chelsea.
Manchester United need a striker. Or at least one capable of scoring goals.
And their search may lead them to someone who their Technical Director Jason Wilcox knows all about, as United are linked with Ipswich striker Liam Delap in the summer. Wilcox saw Delap's journey through the Manchester City academy where he became Premier League 2 Player of the Year and enjoyed three loan spells in the Championship before a permanent exit last summer.
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Delap has taken to the Premier League with ease, a shining light in a difficult season for underdogs Ipswich. If they have any chance of staying up, Delap will be central to it. If they don't, it's hard not to see a top flight club move for him in the summer.
He is an England under-21 international, strong, prolific and full of raw potential. Delap will surely be in demand this summer and United are closely linked with him in reports, as are Chelsea. Ipswich are set for a healthy profit on the £20m they spent in the summer (which included add-ons), and City would be entitled to some of that money too.
The Blues inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause in the deal to sell Delap so could be in line for millions if Delap secures a big-money transfer, while they could also exercise a buy-back clause (although their signing of Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland's bumper contract makes that unlikely).
Delap is far from the only former City player who could help them in the summer. Goalkeeper James Trafford is collecting clean sheets for fun as Burnley look for an instant return to the Premier League and earned an England call-up this month as a Championship player.
Newcastle have been strongly linked with the player who left City for £15m two years ago, with an extra £4m in add-ons as part of the deal. City have a 20 per cent sell-on clause in Trafford's deal, as well as a buy-back option.
Other sell-on clauses that could be relevant this summer include Taylor Harwood-Bellis, staring at Premier League relegation but another England international who could stay in the Premier League through a transfer away from St Mary's. City retain a sell-on clause in the centre-back which may come into effect in the coming months.
Carlos Forbs could trigger a reported £11.4m transfer to Wolves from Ajax, which would entitle City to 20 per cent of that fee (£2.28m) following his £17m move to Amsterdam two summers ago. The Blues also have a 'sizeable' sell-on clause for Shea Charles, and 30 per cent on CJ Egan-Riley, who have both been regulars in the Championship this season.
Other sell-on clauses include a huge 50 per cent on Tommy Doyle (Wolves), 30 per cent on winger Dire Mebude (Westerlo, on loan at Hamburg) and 25 per cent on Micah Hamilton (Middlesbrough, on loan at Stockport). There is a 'substantial' sell-on clause, up to 20 per cent, on Yan Couto - who will join Borussia Dortmund for £25m when the summer window opens, and a high sell-on clause for Stockport midfielder Lewis Fiorini, plus clauses for Southampton trio Gavin Bazunu, Juan Larios (20 per cent) and Sam Edozie.
As City look to continue their squad overhaul and rebuild, some of the funding for that will come from fresh academy sales. Other contributions could come from rivals like United or Newcastle via clauses already agreed.
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