Liam Delap has sent Manchester United a direct transfer warning as clarification is made on when he will make a decision on his next destination.
Manchester United have reportedly made Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap their priority striker target as Rúben Amorim looks to add further goals to his squad this summer.
Aside from the pending conclusion of negotiations to bring in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ forward Matheus Cunha, United are chasing Delap and ideally want to have both players’ futures nailed down before the summer window opens on June 1.
Ipswich Town were promoted to the Premier League last season, but it was confirmed that they will be rejoining the Championship for the 2025/26 campaign, which has triggered a release clause of £30 million to activate for Delap.
United are said to see the 22-year-old as a strong striker who has started to prove himself well in the Premier League with 12 goals and two assists in the competition this season, and can grow into a top-level forward in the future.
Delap sends United direct transfer warning
Although United are one club looking to secure a deal for Delap over the line as soon as possible, they are facing significant competition from Chelsea for his signature.
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Delap is “likely to wait” to see which of his suitors are playing European football next season before making a final decision on which club he would like to sign for.
Amid interest from RB Leipzig, Newcastle, and Bayern Leverkusen, Delap is prioritising playing in European competition next campaign with whichever club he signs for.
Delap’s decision is undoubtedly a clear warning to United that, should they fail to secure Champions League football next season by winning the Europa League, the striker may not consider them a viable destination for next season.
When will Delap make his final transfer decision?
Despite Delap’s current stance of waiting until the future of each club is clarified, Jacobs comments that his move to whichever club he chooses is expected to be a “quick transfer” this summer.
United will know if they are playing Champions League football or not by 21 May, the date of the Europa League final, although their fate could be confirmed by 8 May if they fail to get past Athletic Club during their semi-final clash.
Delap wants to make a final decision and sign for his next club before the start of the 2025 U21 European Championship, where he is set to represent England as their starting striker.
This competition kicks off on 11 June and finishes 17 days later on 28 June, meaning that if United see themselves enter the Champions League next season, they will know if they can secure Delap during the opening two weeks of the summer transfer window.
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