Liam Delap with Harry Kane during England training.
Liam Delap has been linked with a move to Manchester United (Image: 2025 The FA)
Remember Rory Delap, the no-nonsense midfielder who played for Stoke and could launch a throw-in further than a large yacht? His son is being linked with Manchester United.
Liam Delap started his career at Derby County and eventually joined Manchester City's academy. The 22-year-old made his first-team debut at the Etihad and was sent on three different loans before a permanent deal was agreed for a fee in the region of £20million with Ipswich Town last summer.
City academy coaches believed Delap had the attributes to develop into a top Premier League striker, and he has impressed by scoring ten goals in the topflight this season for Ipswich.
Delap's physique, pace and power make him a handful for defenders and he's reached double digits in a struggling Ipswich side which looks destined to be relegated to the Championship.
Ipswich have struggled for points in their first season back competing in the big time, but Delap has taken to it like a duck to water. His loans with Championship clubs Stoke, Preston and Hull prepared him for the Premier League and it's not been a surprise to see reports about his future.
Kieran McKenna will be desperate to keep Delap if Ipswich are relegated because he could fire them back up at the first time of asking, which only a handful of clubs have managed.
It's almost impossible for a relegated side to keep their best talent, though. The vultures in the Premier League are guaranteed to circle and Delap will be hot property this summer.
He is a young English player who knows how to find the back of the net. That increases his market value and City certainly knew what they were doing when they inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause when Delap transferred to Ipswich.
Liam Delap has been linked with a move to Man United
The feeling is Delap will be on the move and he's been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but is signing another inexperienced striker really what United need? The answer is obviously no.
United should have signed a proven goalscorer in the summer of 2023 and brought in Rasmus Hojlund instead. Hojlund enjoyed a decent first season in Manchester, scoring 16 goals, but that still wasn't enough for the team and he's taken backward steps during his second campaign at the club.
Ruben Amorim has pulled his hair out since his appointment from Sporting Lisbon because his players haven't scored enough goals, and United must sign a proven goalscorer this summer.
Although there's no denying Delap has been impressive, he hasn't proven himself at the top level for a number of seasons and it would be asking for trouble to sign another young striker.
The reports linking Delap with a move away from Portman Road have also suggested he would command a fee of around £50m, which is clearly an inflated one because of his profile.
United can't afford to mess around with their striker targets this summer. They must sign someone who is capable of scoring 20 league goals if they want to qualify for Champions League football next season, and that target would be unrealistic for Delap in just his second topflight campaign.
Victor Osimhen is the standout candidate for United and he ticks more boxes than Delap.