Former Hull City striker Liam Delap has been urged to think twice about quitting Ipswich Town and joining Manchester United this summer.
Delap has caught the eye since his season on loan at City last season and his MKM Stadium form earned him a £20m move to Ipswich Town last summer following their promotion to the Premier League.
That switch from Manchester City saw a relegation release clause inserted in the deal, which means he's available for £30m after Town's relegation was confirmed last month. A move to Old Trafford has been talked about. Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have also been linked with a move for the Derby-born ace who has bagged 12 goals in a struggling side this term.
“If he comes, everyone will get behind him as a young player,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “But we’ve seen that United has been a tough place to play in recent years for a lot of very experienced players. So, we’re right to express caution in terms of what’s happening at United. You need to be resilient, you need to be ready.
“So I’d hope him going there, he’d get off to a good start and have a great career if that’s the move that happens. But we are right to think about what’s happened to other players. Hojlund came in at £70m, Zirkzee at £30m. What’s going to happen to them? Do they just leave?
“We’ve seen Sancho come in, Antony come in... Rashford’s going to leave. It’s interesting. There’s a good knowledge of Delap at United at a high level. Jason Wilcox has worked with him so he’ll be having a say on this. Omar Berrada at City. So they’ll have a good understanding of his game and his character - but United is a different animal.”
Jamie Carragher, Neville's sparring partner on the channel, urged Delap to reject United's overtures and scale down his sights slightly and join Everton.
“I don’t think Delap should go to Manchester United,” the former Liverpool defender confessed. “After what happened with Hojlund... I know people will say about league position, but Man United is a monster.
“I think that next step - an Everton or something - being the main man where you’re going to play every week, be the best player. He’s the best player at Ipswich; go to another club where you’re that for two years, then go to that sort of Man United or whoever... Champions League team trying to compete at that sort of level."