Liam Delap might have thought going to Stoke City as a young striker was hard enough but he has been warned what to expect if he makes his next move to Manchester United.
The 22-year-old striker is in demand this summer after showcasing his Premier League potential at Ipswich Town this season, despite their relegation straight back to the Championship. He is wanted by Chelsea and Newcastle United as well as Man United, with all apparently ready to trigger a £30 million release clause.
It has been a quick rise for the son of Stoke legend Rory, who got his first proper taste of senior football at the bet365 Stadium in a difficult few months borrowed from Manchester City in 2022/23. A frustrating loan followed at Preston North End before he stepped up a gear with Hull before heading to Portman Road last summer.
But United legend Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: "If he comes, everyone will get behind him as a young player. 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 move 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.”
Fellow pundit Jamie Carragher suggests Delap's next move should be to a club where he can play regularly.
He said: “I don’t think Delap should go to Manchester United. 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 Man United or whoever... Champions League team trying to compete at that sort of level."
Delap is said to be top of Man United's transfer wishlist in a summer rebuild following a dreadful league campaign, while also losing in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Manchester Evening News report: "For United, (competition for Delap) will be a blow for them as they would have been hoping to get Delap snapped up early to move on to other targets. While they have managed to breeze past the opposition to sign (Matheus) Cunha, the battle for Delap seems to be a much trickier one entirely.
"At £30m, the forward represents a steal and the concern in the United camp will be that Newcastle and Chelsea have had much better Premier League seasons and this likely makes them more attractive propositions for signings."
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