Manchester United have received the green light on one major transfer ahead of the summer window but one thing stands in the way of a potential deal.
Manchester United are urgently looking to bolster their attacking options ahead of the summer transfer window and have identified Liam Delap as a potential solution to their goalscoring struggles.
Under Ruben Amorim, United have found it difficult to convert chances into goals—an issue laid bare in recent games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City.
Despite carving out multiple clear-cut opportunities, they managed to secure just a single point from those two fixtures—a tally that might have looked very different with a clinical finisher leading the line.
Delap has been a bright spark this season, netting 12 Premier League goals—a standout achievement given Ipswich Town’s position near the bottom of the table.
His impressive form has drawn attention not only from United but also from other elite clubs, including Chelsea, paving the way for a potential bidding war for his services this summer.
United handed green light for Delap transfer
It seems like the green light has been given by Ipswich this week for Delap’s exit following the latest rumours coming out in the media.
Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that the Tractor Boys were monitoring Sheffield United striker Ryan One as a replacement for Delap if he leaves this summer.
Following on from that, MailSport have now revealed that Ipswich are planning to make a bid for One when the transfer window opens.
This suggests that the Premier League side are preparing for life without their star striker and his release clause will drop to £30 million when their relegation to the Championship is confirmed.
United will be looking at these developments as good news as they try to lure Delap to Old Trafford ahead of next season.
Chelsea standing in United’s way
The one thing standing in United’s way of this deal is the competition from Chelsea, who are also targeting Delap to strengthen their frontline.
Both clubs have links to the 22-year-old. Jason Wilcox worked with him in the City academy while Enzo Maresca was his youth team manager.
United may have an upper hand in terms of guaranteed game-time as the competition from Rasmus Højlund is less fierce than that of Nicolas Jackson.
However, there is a greater chance that Chelsea will have European football next season and that is said to be something Delap is considering.
United also have a strict transfer budget and likely cannot work on deals until that is finalised. Chelsea, meanwhile, are already working on transfers as shown by them hijacking United’s move for Geovany Quenda.
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