This season, a 22-year-old striker has delivered goals in the Premier League, goals Manchester United need and want. Because where Liam Delap has put in 12 league goals for one of the Premier League’s weakest clubs, first striker Rasmus Højlund has stopped in 3. Several strikers have been linked with United, but with buyout clauses or transfer fees of £60 million plus. Now it is reported that the price of Ipswich’s top scorer will drop sharply in the summer.
Viktor Gyökeres, Hugo Ekitike and Victor Osimhen are all on the wish list, but it is Delap who has been most closely linked to Manchester United in the last month. United legend Rio Ferdinand, who has stopped the best strikers, believes United must steer clear of a “rookie” like Delap and take the cost and go straight for Osimhen’s signing.
Osimhen is demanding around £10 million in annual wages, Napoli are demanding upwards of 75 million euros for the 26-year-old’s signature. Rio Ferdinand believes it is worth it, to bring in an experienced striker who has shown he can deliver season after season.
The Guardian now comes with additional information about the 22-year-old Delap that probably makes the Manchester United management ignore the advice from Ferdinand. According to the English media, the buy-out clause on Delap falls from £40 million to £30 million if Ipswich are relegated from the Premier League.
With 12 points up on Wolverhampton above the relegation zone and 7 games remaining, United can already budget for a lower buyout clause on Ipswich’s top scorer.
In a financially strained situation, with a transfer budget that has to span many positions, a Delap signing seems too cheap for United to afford to turn down.
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