Liam Delap’s 'priority' revealed as Newcastle, Chelsea and Man Utd eye £30m Ipswich star
Over the past week, there has been growing speculation around Liam Delap's future.
After initial claims that a £40m relegation release clause existed in his Ipswich deal, it was revealed by The Guardian last night that a £30m buyout is on offer if and when the Tractor Boys go down.
That's a bargain in this day and age for a 22-year-old striker with 12 Premier League goals to his name this season and it seems a matter of time until Ipswich go down, with the gap to safety 12 points with just seven games to play.
It's no wonder Newcastle are interested, but who else is in the mix and what is the player likely to prioritise?
Delap's 'priority' revealed as interest grows
According to journalist Ben Jacobs, it’s looking like Delap has more than just Premier League sides eyeing him up this summer.
Top Bundesliga clubs Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig are said to be among several foreign suitors, with Delap’s pace and physicality a perfect fit for the German top flight. But there is some hope for Newcastle's chances.
Jacobs reports that Chelsea, Man Utd and Newcastle are all keen, but Man City are not expected to exercise their buy-back option.
He also adds the player himself looks set to 'prioritise European football' next season. Bad news for Man Utd, perhaps? And another incentive for Newcastle to get back into the Champions League via a top five finish.
With Delap giving no major indicators on where he would most like to play next season, the prospect of consistent minutes and continental football on Tyneside under the top English coach right now is a hard offer to turn down.
Even with Manchester United and Chelsea lurking in the background, who could both feasibly make Delap their new no.9 come August, the chance to work with Howe, learn from Isak and become a big part of our project ahead of our return to Europe could be a tempting prospect.
Merson discusses potential move
Discussing where he could end up, Paul Merson played down a potential return to Man City and felt a move to Chelsea could be a mistake.
Instead, he named Aston Villa as a suitable destination along with Man Utd; although I'm not sure Old Trafford is the place I'd be going next if I was a young striker (look at Hojlund) wanting European football...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIOQph9P3RI
