Newcastle United and Chelsea look set to miss out on signing Liam Delap, according to a report.
Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap is reportedly inclined to transfer to a different Premier League club, excluding Newcastle United. Delap made his move to Ipswich from Manchester City last summer and has scored 12 goals in a commendable debut season.
However, his contributions were insufficient to maintain the club’s position in the top tier. Ipswich’s relegation was confirmed after a 3-0 loss to Newcastle last month, allowing other clubs to acquire Delap this summer by triggering his £30 million relegation release clause.
According to The Telegraph, Newcastle views this as a worthwhile investment and is contemplating a bid. Delap could either rotate with Alexander Isak or partner with the Swedish striker in what is expected to be a hectic 2025-26 season, given the additional European fixtures.
Manchester United leading the race for Liam Delap
Chelsea has been prominently associated with Delap; however, as reported by talkSPORT, the striker appears to be favoring a move to Manchester United.
The report further states: ‘Former Manchester City youth player Delap, who has netted 12 goals in the top division this season, is reportedly eager to return to the northwest.’
“United’s pursuit of the England under-21 ace will be further boosted if they beat Tottenham in the Europa League final. It would mean they qualify for the Champions League and Delap’s preference is to play in UEFA’s top-tier competition.”
Ipswich Town manager discusses Liam Delap’s future
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna recently addressed Delap’s future. He believes the former England youth international is capable for playing for the biggest clubs in the country.
“Liam’s focus is still here and finishing the season as strong as possible,” McKenna said. “As I’ve said before, I think there’s certainly a possibility that he’s an Ipswich player next year. I don’t think anything’s decided in anyone’s mind.
“But can Liam play for the biggest clubs in the country, the biggest clubs in the world? He certainly can. I fully believe that. He’s already shown the impact he can have at Premier League level in a team that have really been fighting for everything. I think he can have an outstanding impact at this level.
“But he’s also very young and he’s playing his first season of Premier League football. He’s not played a huge amount of minutes as a leading striker in a team before and he’s still learning and getting better all the time.
“What’s right for Liam? What’s right for Ipswich? All those factors will come into play in the summer and the right decision will be made. But he’s happy and he’s developing really well here. He has the potential. I think he will, in his career, go on to do some really, really good things.”
Will Newcastle United sign a striker this summer?
Alexander Isak is set to remain with Newcastle for the upcoming season, unless an exceptionally high offer is presented by another club. Meanwhile, there is ambiguity regarding Callum Wilson’s future, as the 33-year-old’s contract expires on June 30.
If Wilson departs, the decision to pursue a striker will likely hinge on Eddie Howe’s assessment of Will Osula’s development. The 21-year-old, who transferred from Sheffield United last summer, has had to exercise patience, having made only three starts and 14 appearances as a substitute.
Recently, Osula netted his inaugural Premier League goal against Ipswich after being substituted in during the second half.
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