‘Face-to-face talks’ with ‘scary’ striker amid Jason Wilcox ‘relationship’

Manchester United have held direct talks with Liam Delap, according to a report, as a former Red Devils star has explained why a move to Old Trafford would suit the Ipswich Town striker.

One of the areas that Man Utd are keen to strengthen in the summer transfer window is in attack. Just 42 goals in 37 Premier League games this season paint a bleak picture of how dire the Red Devils’ forward line has been, first under Erik ten Hag and then under Ruben Amorim.

Rasmus Hojlund does not spark confidence that he will become a prolific Premier League goalscorer anytime soon, while Joshua Zirkzee is not a natural number nine.

TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, has consistently reported that Ipswich star Delap is Man Utd’s number one striker target in the summer transfer window.

Delap is available for £30million because of a release clause in his contract at Ipswich that became active once the Tractor Boys got relegated from the Premier League.

Sources have told TEAMtalk that the 22-year-old former Manchester City striker would be happy to move to Man Utd, who will qualify for the Champions League next season if they win the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur this week.

The Athletic has now reported that Man Utd officials and Delap ‘have held face-to-face talks’.

Ipswich gave permission to the young striker to travel to Manchester and speak to Old Trafford officials over a potential move to Amorim’s side this season.

According to talkSPORT, Delap will also meet with officials from Chelsea, who, like Man Utd, are also keen on a summer deal for the Ipswich star, who was described as a “scary” striker who “can play anywhere on the pitch” by former Hull City head coach Liam Rosenior in The Hull Daily Mail.

The Independent reported last week that ‘there is understood to be an existing relationship between Delap and technical director Jason Wilcox from their time together at Manchester City’.

Wilcox joined Man City in 2012 and became the Cityzens’ Academy Director in 2017 before leaving in 2023 to move to Southampton.

The 53-year-old former England international was appointed the Man Utd Technical Director in April 2024

Delap left Man City for Ipswich in the summer of 2024, and has scored 12 goals and given two assists in 32 starts and four substitute appearances in the Premier League for Ipswich this season.

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Liam Delap backed for Man Utd success

Former Man Utd player Luke Chadwick believes that Delap would be a huge success at Old Trafford.

Chadwick told Suffolk News:” He’s a bit of a throwback, isn’t he? You saw him growing up at Man City and physically, he was always above the other players within his age group and you wondered, would he take that into professional football? He went out on a couple of loans where he wasn’t fantastic and then went to Ipswich, where he’s been great.

“You only have to look at the amount of goals he’s scored in the Premier League. He seems to, particularly a few months in, have grown in arrogance – in a good way. You see him at Old Trafford (in February) and he’s shoving them all over the place and he’s getting stuck into it.

“It feels like he’s at a time now where he can go and play at a top club. Unfortunately, Man United isn’t the top club at the moment, but I think bringing someone like that in would be brilliant for Man United. I think it would be a brilliant move for Delap as well.

“Obviously, Ipswich fans aren’t going to want me to say that, but he’s probably going to move on. You feel he could go to one of the top four clubs, but I don’t know if he’d play consistently. I think he could go in at Man United and be the main man.

“If he hits the ground running, he could be part of a Manchester United squad that’s getting back to where all the Manchester United fans hope it can get to.

“So, I do think him going to United would be a really good move for both parties. But again, I’m sure he’s going to have a number of options come the end of the season.”

Former Watford striker Troy Deeney said last month that he hopes that Delap makes the move to Man Utd.

Deeney told talkSPORT: “He has to play [to get into England squad] right?

“So his next step would be, if I was advising him, would be that with Man United, it’s nailed on.

“If he went to Man United, he’d start every week. He’d instantly make them better.”

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A report has claimed that Man Utd have not completely given up on signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting CP in the summer transfer window, but they have a major issue over landing Victor Osimhen.

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