Ipswich Town simply cannot compete as new Liam Delap reveal emerges | OneFootball

The reality of Liam Delap's future at Ipswich Town has become even clearer with recent developments

Ipswich Town’s uphill battle to keep Liam Delap has only gotten worse following confirmation of their relegation to the Championship.

It was reported by the Guardian last month that the forward has a relegation release clause worth £30 million amid interest in his services this summer.

Both Chelsea and Manchester United have been mentioned as potential next destinations.

According to Chronicle Live, Newcastle United are also in the mix for his signature, with the player demanding wages of between £120,000 and £150,000 per week.

And the reality of the situation is that Ipswich simply cannot compete with those kind of figures, especially since they’ve been relegated from the Premier League.

Even if they had survived with a 17th place finish, they might have been able to combat the asking price for him but it’s unlikely they’d have been able to afford such a high salary.

Ipswich Town’s wage bill

Delap has performed well in the Premier League this season, scoring 12 goals from 34 appearances so far.

The 22-year-old signed from Manchester City in the summer, and has proven himself capable of competing at a top flight level.

The Englishman has a contract until 2029, but the £30 million release clause puts a clear asking price on his head going into the upcoming transfer market.

According to estimated figures from Capology, Delap’s deal sees him receive a weekly wage of £20,000.

He is now seeking a significant increase on that as part of any deal to leave Portman Road.

The highest paid player in Kieran McKenna’s side is currently Axel Tuanzebe, who is earning £40,000 per week, highlighting just how far outside their current wage bracket the £120,000 to 150,000-a-week salary would be.

While clubs like Man United, Newcastle and Chelsea could potentially afford this, there is no way for Ipswich to compete.

Ipswich will have to fight for promotion without Delap

Losing Delap will be a blow to the Tractor Boys given how important he could’ve been in the Championship.

A player capable of scoring 12 times for a struggling Premier League team has the potential to rip it up in the second division, but it’s unlikely we’ll ever get to see just how many he could score at that level now.

Conor Chaplin and Nathan Broadhead were the joint top scorers for Ipswich when they gained promotion last season, both scoring 13 times each.

But they have both struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League, and a tally of 13 is also not that high for a team with promotion ambitions.

It’s clear that Delap will need to be replaced this summer, presuming he is sold, if the club are going to be straight back in the mix for a top two finish again.

Reinvesting that £30 million could prove key to their promotion challenge in the next campaign, and the sooner the forward goes the better it might be for the club.

Delap’s performances will be remembered fondly by supporters, but his departure will be a clear signal that they just aren’t yet ready to compete with the very top teams despite their massive upwards trajectory under McKenna.