Chelsea have won the race to sign one of Manchester United's top transfer targets and to make matters even worse, their rivals Manchester City will benefit
15:13, 29 May 2025Updated 15:15, 29 May 2025
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has missed out on a key summer signing for Manchester United(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Liam Delap is on the brink of a Chelsea move this summer, having snubbed an offer from fallen giants Manchester United.
The 22-year-old striker has been turning heads this season with his 12 Premier League goals for relegated Ipswich Town, sparking interest from several clubs. Keen to have his future sorted before the European Under 21 Championship kicks off, it appears that Chelsea have pipped others to the post in securing Delap's services, in a blow to under-pressure United boss Ruben Amorim.
Thanks to a relegation release clause, he's up for grabs at a bargain £30million. And this impending switch to Stamford Bridge spells good news for Manchester City, who are set to pocket a tidy sum as part of the deal that saw Delap move from the Etihad to East Anglia.
City offloaded Delap in a £20million deal last year, which included an initial £15million sale and an additional £5million should Ipswich secure a Premier League promotion, which they did.
They also cleverly added a 20% sell-on fee into the transfer agreement, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Liam Delap of England
Liam Delap wants his move completed before he plays for England under-21s in June(Image: Cameron Smith/The FA via Getty Images)
If Delap finalises his £30m move to Chelsea, City will rake in between £2m-£6m, depending on whether the clause entitles them to 20% of the total sale or just the profit Ipswich make on their star forward.
While the Blues had a buy-back option, with Erling Haaland penning a hefty contract extension this season and Omar Marmoush joining in January, a central striker isn't on City's summer shopping list.
Delap only clocked up six first team appearances for City. He had stints on loan in the Championship during his time at the Etihad, turning out for Stoke City, Preston North End and Hill City.
He managed to bag just 12 goals across those three spells, a tally he matched in a single season at Ipswich.
Just last week, Delap was called up to the England Under-21 training squad in preparation for this summer's European Under-21 Championships.
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The squad will be whittled down to 23 come Friday, June 6.