Manchester United are closely monitoring the situation of Liam Delap at Chelsea ahead of a potential summer exit, according to TEAMtalk.
The Red Devils were very keen on a deal to sign Delap last summer, but he ultimately chose to move to Stamford Bridge instead, which led to United spending over £200m on deals to sign Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko to refresh their attacking options.
But Delap's time in London hasn't gone to plan so far, netting just once in the Premier League all season, and there are now question marks over his long-term future at the club as a result.
Man Utd Eyeing Liam Delap Move
Liam Delap
Delap, who has been described as 'phenomenal', was understood to be Man Utd's first-choice striker target for INEOS last summer, and the club had even agreed the framework of a deal for the young striker with Ipswich.
But Delap instead opted for Chelsea after they earned qualification to the Champions League, and represented them in the Club World Cup. The 22-year-old picked up a serious hamstring injury earlier in the season against Fulham, which saw him miss two months of action.
Since returning, Delap has managed just two goals in all competitions, once against Fulham and once against Barcelona, and it has been acknowledged by the Chelsea hierarchy that that isn't an acceptable return for someone who is supposed to be the long-term striker option at the club.
Privately, the club has admitted that if the poor form continues until the end of the season then they may be forced to look at alternatives, and Man Utd are understood to be keen to revisit their interest should he become available.
Chelsea have already signed Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg for the summer, while Nicolas Jackson is likely to return from his loan at Bayern Munich too, which could see Delap have more options to compete with, and a move to Old Trafford may prove more appealing with less competition.
Man Utd Don't Need Delap
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Man Utd's move for Delap made sense last year, as they knew they had limited funds to work with and Delap was coming off an impressive season with Ipswich.
However, now that they have seen his struggles at the top level, and with the current options they already have in the squad, it would be a strange decision for INEOS to go back into the market and try to revive the deal for an underperforming player. United have also been linked with a move for Chelsea star Cole Palmer, and that is a deal that would make a lot more sense.
His skillset hasn't translated well to top level football, and United should be wary of being burned by Chelsea again. It's a deal that doesn't make sense, and the club should have other priorities in the market that they are focusing on.
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