Latest Southampton, Liam Delap news is not what Hull City will want to hear: View | OneFootball

Manchester City striker Liam Delap is heading towards a pivotal summer, despite still being in the early stages of his professional career.

The centre-forward has now spent three loan spells at Championship level with Preston North End, Stoke City and Hull City respectively.

It would be a fair assessment to say that the 21-year-old rarely set the world alight at Deepdale and yet again at the Bet365 Stadium - a ground where his father Rory is so well revered.

However, the man on the books of Manchester City firmly put those experiences to bed and left a lasting impression on his temporary employers in East Yorkshire, having been acquired under Liam Rosenior last summer.

So much so that the Tigers' hierarchy have already set their stall out to bring him back to the MKM Stadium. However, those plans could soon be under threat.

Liam Delap's impact at Hull City

Delap's impact on last season's City side was extremely impressive and extremely noticeable, particularly in his three-month absence after sustaining a knee injury back in January.

Unlike in previous loan spells, Delap's confidence shone through straight away, which was aided by a debut goal against Norwich City, demonstrating great centre-forward play, pace and physicality in equal measure, which are the three main hallmarks of his game.

He would then accumulate six further goals and two assists prior to his injury, and during that time, he also showcased his maturity and reading of the game, often drifting into wide areas and creating chances out of nothing with the power he is able to generate.

Despite the three-month absence, a return to HU3 was often mooted throughout the season, with Delap also expressing his fondness for the club, and even though Rosenior has been replaced by German boss Tim Walter, chairman Acun Ilicali and CEO Tan Kesler remain ambitious in their hopes of seeing the number nine return to the club, as well as dismissing reports of a reported £10m fee which could be required in the process.

"I don't know who mentions those numbers because we've inquired from Man City the sale price, but there's not a set price on him in the market at the moment, so I think it's more tabloids than realistic," Kesler admitted to Hull Live.

Southampton offer could put Hull City ambitions under threat

Despite the ambition Kesler and Ilicali have put forward recently, newly-promoted Southampton could have something to say in a potential transfer saga.

The Saints could lose Che Adams, with Wolves reportedly offering a contract to the Scotland international, which would force the South Coast outfit to accept a £15m loss on his initial fee from Birmingham City.

Therefore, it's no surprise that Russell Martin is looking to bolster his striking options, which already include the lethal Adam Armstrong - the second tier's second-highest scorer last term - and Sekou Mara.

A recent revelation from Jack Rosser of The Sun claims that Delap features alongside Villarreal forward Ben Brereton-Diaz in the club's shortlist, with the Chilean a rare bright spot in a dismal season for newly-relegated Sheffield United.

Based off reports from the Express, Southampton earned approximately £100m just from defeating Leeds United at Wembley on May 26th, meaning their finances - if they already weren't - are in a completely different ballpark to what City are able to conjure up, with Ilicali being transparent about the financial landscape in Walter's first press conference.

"There are FFP limits and there is a big pressure on all Championship clubs They will only let me send £14m from my pocket and I will spend that to the limit, but after that we cannot spend any more," the Turk stated.

He added: "At the moment we don't have room for big transfers. If one of our big players goes then it is a different scenario, but I don't want any of our big players to go."

On top of the financial differences between the two sides, Delap's father also featured 152 times for Southampton between 2001 and 2006, with the striker also born in nearby Winchester, so there is a sentimental element also thrown into the equation, which could sway his thought process if Saints were serious in their reported ambitions to poach his signature.

Jury is out on whether Liam Delap is ready for the Premier League

Delap is one of the most promising young English strikers at this moment in time, and it's clear that someone on the books of the 'Four in a Row' Premier League champions would realise this potential at some point, whether that be at the Etihad Stadium or elsewhere.

Having only made two Premier League appearances to date, it's hard to judge whether he is able to make the step up. It would seem almost a certainty that if he moved to St Mary's, Delap wouldn't oust the aforementioned Armstrong from Martin's first choice lineup when the new season gets underway.

City fans will be hoping he can prove himself as a high-level Championship player with, fingers crossed, a full season of action this time around, which could be the difference to the club's ambitions and his overall development.

However, it's fair to say that the newly-promoted side's interest isn't exactly what Tigers fans want to hear.