Former England international Darren Bent can now be added to the growing throng of pundits recommending West Ham United to one of the Premier League’s brightest young talents.
How many times over the years has a rising star burst onto the top-flight stage, only to make a move far too early in his career? See Steve Sidwell at Chelsea, for instance. Scott Sinclair at Manchester City.
Then again, on the other hand, Andy Robertson swapped relegated Hull City for Liverpool, blossoming into one of the finest left-backs the Premier League has ever seen. That was, of course, a Liverpool side very much on the up and boasting a manager – Jurgen Klopp – who could point to his stellar record at Borussia Dortmund when transforming potential into elite-level talent.
Considering the mess that is Manchester United, and the eternal uncertainty surrounding Chelsea, speculation linking Liam Delap with a move to two sleeping giants of European football understandably has some worried for the Ipswich Town sensation.
Ipswich gave Delap permission to hold talks with his many suitors ahead of Sunday’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham United.
The Man City academy graduate is now expected to make a final decision on his next step within the coming days.
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Darren Bent urges Liam Delap to choose West Ham United or Everton
West Ham are in the running for the striker’s signature too – Liam Delap has a £30 million release clause in his contract, after all – though Graham Potter’s outfit are understandably viewed as rank outsiders in a battle against established giants like Man United and Chelsea, plus Champions League-bound clubs such as Newcastle.
Yet, one-time Sunderland, Charlton and Tottenham poacher Darren Bent joins former Aston Villa captain Gabby Agbonlahor as Liam Delap is urged to choose a West Ham or an Everton over a destination where the pressure to perform would be immediate and unrelenting.
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“Yeah, I do like him,” Bent begins. “He’s done well. He’s done really well, but I think the next move has got to be right for him.
“He’s got all the attributes. He’s only 22 years old. But, again, if you’re expecting him to lead the line at a massive football club and score 20, 25 goals…
“Everton, West Ham, there has got to be a middle ground before you take that big jump.”
Delap ended his breakout Premier League campaign with 12 goals for a relegated Ipswich outfit. And though he was restricted to a 20-minute cameo against West Ham, the England Under-21 hitman quickly showcased his physical attributes off the bench with one soaring leap to win a flick-on.
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
“If I were him, I would not be going [to Manchester United] at the moment. I would not,” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT a fortnight ago. “I wouldn’t stay at Ipswich [either]. I would go to a West Ham.
“Go and prove yourself at a West Ham, the next step. They need a striker, Evan Ferguson will go back to Brighton. He hasn’t worked out. They are desperate for a striker.”
West Ham need a striker with Danny Ings and Michail Antonio exiting
Photo by Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images
Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images
As things stand, with Ferguson set to depart and with both Danny Ings and Michail Antonio out of contract, Niclas Fullkrug will be West Ham’s only centre-forward come the beginning of July.
Delap does appear to have moved out of the Hammers’ reach, given his desire for European football. There are plenty of talented young centre-forwards on the market this summer, though.
Hammers News understands that West Ham could look to take El Bilal Toure away from Atalanta, two years after the Mali international joined the Serie A outfit for an eye-watering £25 million.
“Liam’s looking at his options for next year, which I think he’s entitled to do, and we support him with that,” Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna told the East Anglian Daily Times on Friday. “So, yes, we’ve given him the permission to do that this week.
“It’s a very important decision for his future. Of course, there’s a lot of interest and rightly so. So that’s been part of his week, he’s been having some of those conversations.
“It looks, I think more likely than not, that he’ll move on this summer. He has interest from pretty much every club in the league. I don’t think there’s many clubs in the world who wouldn’t want to have him. So I think it’s more likely than not that he’ll move on.”