Manchester United and Everton are reportedly interested in signing Chelsea forward Liam Delap, as per Caught Offside.
After displaying glimpses of his qualities for Ipswich Town in the Premier League, the 23-year-old attracted a lot of attention last summer.
The Red Devils were said to be keen on signing him, but the West London club eventually managed to persuade him to join. However, the Englishman has struggled to showcase his best thus far this season, with injury problems one of the main reasons.
In 24 appearances across all competitions, he has made five goal contributions, with only one goal coming in the Premier League. However, he helped his side beat Hull City 4-0 by registering three assists in the FA Cup fourth round fixture last weekend.
Now, Caught Offside claim that following Delap’s below-average performances this season, Chelsea are prepared to cash-in on him in the summer. They are even ready to let him leave on loan with an option to make the move permanent.
Despite failing to sign Delap last summer, Man Utd remain keen on him and could make a concrete approach ahead of next campaign. Apart from the Old Trafford club, Everton, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Sunderland are also in this race.
The former Manchester City man is valued at around £30m by Transfermarkt and still has a contract until 2031. So, Chelsea are likely to demand a sizable amount of money to let him leave.
Battle
Man Utd currently have Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee as the centre-forward options. However, Zirkzee has struggled to showcase his best in the Premier League; as a result, Michael Carrick has used Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the No.9 position in recent matches.
Zirkzee was linked with a move away in the winter window and might eventually leave in the summer. So, perhaps, United are considering signing a new striker.
On the other hand, Thierno Barry and Beto are Everton’s striker options. However, Beto has struggled thus far this season, while Barry has started showcasing his best in recent matches, following a slow start.
It is going to be interesting to see whether the Old Trafford club or the Merseyside club eventually make a concrete approach to sign Delap.
