Liam Delap 'chooses next club' with Manchester United in 'pole position' for £30m summer transfer | OneFootball

Striker is expected to be on the move this summer

Liam Delap is attracting plenty of interest ahead of the summer transfer window

London Standard

Ipswich’s relegation from the top flight means the £30m release clause in Delap’s contract can be activated this summer and he is expected to be on the move once the transfer window officially opens on June 1.

Amid links to Newcastle and Chelsea, it was reported by Sky Sports News that Man Utd were believed to be in ‘pole position’ for the striker’s signature.

Furthermore, the report stated that Delap would be happy to move to Old Trafford this summer, though his final decision could be swayed by whether the Red Devils beat Tottenham in the Europa League final, thus qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

However, fresh developments suggest Man United have been dealt a huge blow.

According to reports, Delap favours a move to Chelsea where he would be reunited with Enzo Maresca who was his academy coach at Manchester City.

Prior to Ipswich’s visit to Stamford Bridge last month, Maresca singled out Delap for special praise.

He said: “In terms of numbers, he's doing fantastic. I think he's scored 12 [Premier League] goals already.

A Liam Delap and Enzo Maresca reunion could be on the cards this summer

Getty Images

“It's not just in terms of his numbers — [it’s] the way he plays and fights and is always there. But he's an Ipswich player. He's an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future.

“In the first game, he was quite good for them. We need to deal with that, and we need to do much, much better compared to the first game [the loss at Ipswich].”

Chelsea are expected to bolster their attacking options this summer especially as Nicolas Jackson has been their only natural senior centre-forward all season.