Manchester United may regret not picking up this Premier League summer signing for a bargain price; he could have been far more suited to Old Trafford.
Manchester United are currently chasing a Champions League finish in the Premier League, with Michael Carrick leading the way as head coach until the end of the season.
Carrick arrived following the dismissal of Rúben Amorim, who had a falling out with the club officials after his 1-1 draw away with Leeds. His public comments claiming he was the “manager” saw him quickly dismissed from his official role as “head coach”.
Amorim was on the receiving end of lots of criticism during his time at the club for his persistent 3-4-2-1 system, which saw United dropping points game after game.
Amorim invested heavily in United’s attacking lineup, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško to add consistency to United’s final third after a poor year in front of goal in 2024/25.
However, with doubts over Šeško’s performances, United may have made a mistake by missing out on a Premier League-proven striker who could have been more suited to the club.
Delap could have led the United line
Miguel Delaney of Independent Sport outlined the advantages that signing Liam Delap could have handed Man United in their hunt for a striker. He stated: “Delap, from what I’m told by the people at several clubs, was basically seen as a no-brainer.
“And that’s because he was available for a mere £30 million release clause. That’s less than half of what everyone else’s price.
“A lot of people are now wondering whether Delap actually regrets going to Chelsea, given the conveyor belt of forwards around him.
“It’s felt he could have been especially right for Manchester United. Also, I think the lower fee made all the more sense.”
Since arriving at Chelsea as the number nine, Delap has only scored three goals in 24 games, while the 22-year-old scored 12 goals in 40 games for a struggling Ipswich side last season.
Liam Delap or Benjamin Šeško?
Since his £73.7 million move in the summer from RB Leipzig, Šeško’s time at United has been up and down, with significant impact of injuries and confidence, but he appears to be getting back into form with three goals in his last two starts.
Fans doubted the signing of a young, unproven striker for a big amount of money due to the arrival of Rasmus Hojlund in 2023, who underperformed at United.
Read More: Alan Shearer makes interesting point about Man Utd vs Arsenal after huge Michael Carrick praise
Whilst fans should remain optimistic about Šeško at United, there is doubt over whether Delap could be more financially suitable for the club, freeing up money to improve other aspects of the squad.
Fans have been calling out for a midfielder, and with the recent announcement of Casemiro’s departure following the end of this season, United must see the midfield as a priority.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.