Liam Delap reportedly has one deal-breaking transfer condition which could determine where he ends up this summer. The Ipswich Town striker has a queue of suitors after scoring 12 Premier League goals for the relegated Tractors Boys, and all are ready to trigger his £30million release clause.
Manchester United, Newcastle, Everton and Chelsea are all believed to have held talks with Delap's representatives during the final weeks of the season. The 22-year-old scored three times as many league goals as any other Ipswich player, and played more minutes than all bar three stars in Kieran McKenna's squad.
Reports indicate that Delap is not willing to compromise on game time at his next club. According to Ben Jacobs, the centre-forward wants a 'guarantee' over his minutes in order to make a push for the England squad Thomas Tuchel will take to next summer's World Cup.
Delap has been an England Under-21 international since 2023, and he is believed to have set himself a deadline to decide his future which falls before he heads off to UEFA EURO U-21.
The Three Lions' first group stage match, against Czechia, is slated for June 12, but the squad will convene well in advance as Lee Carsley prepares to name his final squad on June 6.
United have made Delap their top striker target, and although their pulling power was dented by failing to qualify for the Champions League, they reportedly still believe that their pitch was competitive. Also working in the Red Devils' favour are claims that Delap wants to return to the north-west.
He spent four years on the books at Manchester City before joining Ipswich on a permanent deal last summer. Although Delap's release clause may deny the Tractor Boys the chance to extract maximum value from his sale, they will still turn a tidy profit on the £20m they shelled out 10 months ago.
United, Newcastle, Chelsea and Everton are expecting to hear an 'imminent' decision from Delap, whose final game for Ipswich is likely to have been the 3-1 defeat to West Ham at Portman Road on Sunday.
McKenna admitted leading up to the game: "Liam's looking at his options for next year, which I think he is entitled to do and we support him with that. I think we have given him permission to do that this week. It's a very important decision for his future."