INEOS might struggle to convince Liam Delap of an Old Trafford switch.
Liam Delap will not be short of suitors heading into the summer transfer window, in which he looks nailed on to leave Ipswich Town.
Luckily for those clubs interested, it’s now being reported that his release clause will be only £30 million – as opposed to £40m – in the event the Tractor Boys are relegated to the Championship, and, given they’re 12 points adrift of safety in the closing stages of the season, you’d certainly put your money on that being the case.
It comes after ESPN claimed the 22-year-old had leapfrogged the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres on Manchester United’s striker shortlist to now take the top spot. However, the Old Trafford faithful have learned of one factor in Delap’s decision-making that could hinder the side’s pursuit.
As per Ben Jacobs, the Ipswich talisman is ‘likely to prioritise European football’ for 2025/2026 – something United cannot offer unless they reign victorious in the Europa League this term.
Delap has his pick of the bunch come the summer
The Reds are preparing for the first leg of their quarter-final against Olympique Lyonnais this evening in France before hosting the Ligue 1 outfit for the second leg next Thursday, and are arguably one of the favourites to lift the trophy after making it to the last-eight – though whether that will come to fruition for Ruben Amorim following such a torrid campaign in the dugout remains to be seen.
Delap, meanwhile, has enjoyed a stellar first year as a concrete Premier League starter. He has notched 12 goals and two assists in 30 appearances thus far, with his prolific goalscoring form attracting interest from Chelsea and Newcastle United – both of whom are well in the mix to finish in the European places come May – as well as Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig monitoring his situation from abroad.
