1 week Ago By [email protected] (Ross Gregory)
Newcastle United and Manchester United face off against each other at the weekend in the Premier League - and could be going head to head in the summer over Liam Delap. The two sides are looking to add a striker to their ranks when the transfer window reopens in June. Newcastle are looking for a back-up to star man Alexander Isak amid ongoing doubts over Callum Wilson's future.
Man Utd, meanwhile, face a huge rebuilding job under manager Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils have only scored 37 Premier League goals this season, with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee - the two men tasked with leading the line - notching six between them. In contrast, Ipswich Town forward Delap has scored 12 goals in 30 top-flight appearances this term, while providing two assists in the process as well.
Such form for a team fighting against relegation has attracted the interest of several of the top clubs in the Premier League , including Newcastle, Man Utd and Chelsea. Newcastle have been keeping an eye on Delap since he was signed by Ipswich from Manchester City last summer . The Tractor Boys forked out £20million for his services after strong loan spells in the Championship with the likes of Hull City and Preston.
That fee looks like a bargain now, with the youngster's value rocketing and Delap on the fringes of an England call-up. However, the Daily Mail reports that the striker and has a £40m release clause inserted into his contract. Man City are also believed to have a buy-back clause.
That fee is likely to prove even more attractive to a host of Premier League clubs and if Newcastle do decide he is the man they want, they will need to move swiftly in the summer if they are to sign the 22-year-old ahead of Man United, who could offer Delap their first-choice starter slot. Either way, Delap's future looks set to be away from Portman Road should Ipswich be relegated, as expected. However, Ipswich have vowed they will fight to keep hold of the player and despite the release clause reports, they insist they are 'well protected'.
Speaking to the East Anglian Daily Times , their chairman Mark Ashton provided an update on the forward's contract. "What I would say is that what's been reported is never quite fact," he explained. "What I can say is that in January there was interest in a number of our players from a number of Premier League clubs.
"But the ownership were great. It was ‘you don't have to sell’. "So look, we're not an easy club to buy from, because we have such strong ownership.
We are very, very, very well protected with all of that." Meanwjile, former Liverpool and England striker Stan Collymore has urged Delap to snub a move to Old Trafford . "If I was Liam Delap, I would not join Man United this summer," he wrote in his column for Caughtoffside .
"I think they are not a credible enough team at the moment in terms of competing next season – maybe they can do it in the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup , but they certainly would not be able to do it in the Premier League .".
