Further update revealed as West Brom and Stoke City tussle for Manchester City transfer agreement | OneFootball

Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion are “confident” of sealing a loan deal for Manchester City forward Liam Delap amid interest from elsewhere, according to an update from Alan Nixon.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been short of interest from second-tier sides this summer, with the young striker performing exceptionally well in City’s academy and has established himself as one of their brightest prospects.

With this, he has been able to break into Pep Guardiola’s first team with three senior appearances to his name last season. However, he’s unlikely to be one of the first names on the teamsheet despite the departure of Gabriel Jesus – and that could potentially persuade the Premier League side to sanction a loan deal.

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Although Burnley were previously thought to be in contention for his signature, they are now out of the race according to journalist Nixon, with Stoke City and West Brom seemingly establishing themselves as the frontrunners.

The Potters currently have the advantage of having his father Rory as part of their coaching staff – but Albion are still believed to be confident about their chances of getting a deal over the line.

They are in desperate need of another forward following injury setbacks to the likes of Daryl Dike and Kenneth Zohore, with the Baggies even seeming to be open to selling the latter following a poor spell at The Hawthorns.

NixonMichael O’Neill’s side also hopeful.

The Verdict:

The Baggies certainly need someone like Delap that can come in to stick chances away – and considering how prolific Delap has been in recent years – he could be an excellent addition in the Midlands.

However, it may take him time to adapt to a senior level and this is why Albion supporters shouldn’t expect an immediate impact from the young striker despite his obvious talent.

His arrival would allow Bruce to play a 4-2-3-1 system though and that may suit the Baggies best at this stage, with Karlan Grant on the left, Jed Wallace on the right, John Swift in an advanced midfield role and Delap up front in place of the injured Dike.

It remains to be seen whether the City forward would be one of the first names on the teamsheet when Dike returns though and with Albion spending £7m on the United States international during the January window, they will be reluctant to leave him on the bench.

That could make the top-tier side reluctant to loan him out to the Midlands side and this is one potential barrier for them in their quest to get a deal over the line.