Exclusive: David Prutton issues “serious money” claim on Liam Delap’s Ipswich Town future | OneFootball

There’s a big decision to make on Liam Delap if Ipswich Town drop out of the Premier League

With Ipswich Town looking likely to drop out of the Premier League at the end of this season, decisions will need to be made on some of their key players.

None more so than Liam Delap, who the Tractor Boys signed from Manchester City last summer for £15m plus add-ons.

The 22-year-old has been a revelation, hitting double figures in the top tier despite turning out for a struggling Ipswich side.

We asked Sky Sports pundit and former midfielder David Prutton whether he expects Delap to depart at the end of the campaign.

Delap leaving Ipswich may work for both parties

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Prutton said: “Liam Delap, potentially leaving Ipswich if they go down again. A lot of money paid for a player that I've seen develop and get better.

“We saw him at Stoke. We saw him mature a little bit more at Hull City and when he was out of the side with that injury, he was sorely missed.

“And the chance to go and play in the Premier League and get himself into double figures, as he has done, shows once again what he’s capable of.

“He’s approaching that maturing cycle, isn't he? I say that because he's 22, and you hope if you were going to splash a bit cash on him, like Ipswich have done, they want a good solid five, six, seven years out of him where it really does rise into his prime and develop, because physically he’s a very, very capable player.

“His technique on the ball, his ability to be able to score goals, to upset the opposition in a physical way. I keep saying physical and that's not to his detriment. It's because he's a big powerful kid.

“Having had the pleasure of playing with his old man [Rory Delap] at Southampton, he's very, very much got the Delap power gene, hasn't he?

“So, he's the type of player that with the discussion of where he could possibly end up, you are chucking around Arsenal, Man United, Chelsea, Liverpool; a slightly different proposition to what all those clubs have got at this moment in time.

“And that English barnstorming centre-forward, which has got a slight throwback to it, but the technical ability of the player shows that he belongs in the Premier League and potentially, if Ipswich Town do go down, then the money that they’ve spent on him, which I think was about £20-25m, they would get more than that.

“Which, for a club that does potentially see itself dropping out the division, those assets, yes, they help you get out of the Championship, but if you can cash in and they get really serious money for him, then that's a huge thing for them to have to contemplate.”

Relegation will make it nearly impossible for Ipswich to retain Delap

With some distance now opening up between Ipswich and Wolverhampton Wanderers on either side of the relegation line, it looks likely that the Tractor Boys will be in the Championship next season.

Delap, netting 10 goals in his first full Premier League season, has more than proven his capability at the level. Given his age and the team he’s performed in this season, it’s also reasonable to suggest he’s not yet reached his top level.

Given the lack of classic no.9s in world football at the minute, and with multiple clubs in need, his showings this season have already led to links with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

Some reports have suggested a fee of £40m may be attainable so, as Prutton outlines, a decision will need to be made.

Delap will understandably want to test himself at the highest level and, although they would no doubt love to keep him, Ipswich certainly wouldn’t be losers in the situation if they managed to sell him for double what they paid after just a season.