Manchester United 'lead Chelsea in race for Liam Delap' as Ruben Amorim promise emerges

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·21 April 2025

Manchester United 'lead Chelsea in race for Liam Delap' as Ruben Amorim promise emerges

Man United are expected to be able to offer the striker something Chelsea and Newcastle cannot

Transfer target: Liam Delap

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London Standard

Manchester United are leading Chelsea in the race to sign Ipswich star Liam Delap.

Young English striker Delap is expected to be at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war this summer, with United and Chelsea leading the race and the likes of Newcastle holding a weaker hand.

Delap will be available for £30million this summer due to a clause which will activate when Ipswich's expected relegation from the Premier League is confirmed in the coming days.

Chelsea are interested in Delap, with manager Enzo Maresca having worked with the young striker while in charge of City's Under-21s, and the pair grew a bond, but Mick Brown, a former chief scout at United, says Ruben Amorim has the upper hand.

"Delap is on a lot of clubs' lists," Brown told Football Insider. "I'm not so sure he'll be convinced by the move to Chelsea.

"There's been a lot of talk about him at Man United, and if you're Delap you can look at that United team and feel confident you can make your mark there.

"The options they've got at the moment are not good enough, so Amorim can promise him he will get regular minutes as their starting striker. I don't think he can do the same at Chelsea, Newcastle or any of the other top sides.

"They've signed a lot of players who can't get in the team or haven't played enough – Delap doesn't want to become another one of those. He needs to go somewhere he's going to play, and he knows he's going to play at United."