Old Trafford's new No.9? Why Man Utd are desperate to sign Ipswich striker Liam Delap

Desperate times call for desperate measures and that seems to be all too apparent at Old Trafford these days. After losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur and finishing just three positions above the relegation zone, Ruben Amorim and the Manchester United hierarchy seem to be hard at work in an attempt to gain a headstart on this summer’s transfer window. And it seems as though the Red Devils could be on the verge of a major signing up front. 

According to ESPN, Man Utd have “agreed the framework” of a deal to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. The Old Trafford club will reportedly match the £30 million (€36m) release clause in the player’s contract at Portman Road and terms have also apparently been agreed with the player’s representatives. All that remains to be seen is whether Delap will opt for a move to Man Utd or hold out for an offer from another club, with Chelsea and a number of other Premier League clubs taking a notable interest in the 22-year-old striker and his relatively cheap release clause. However, reports certainly suggest that Man Utd are leading the race to sign the former Manchester City academy graduate. So how good is Delap and why are the Old Trafford club so desperate to sign him? 

 

Is Liam Delap worth the hype?

To no great surprise, much of the interest in Delap comes in no small part thanks to his success at Ipswich this season. Although the young forward was unable to help his side avoid relegation from the Premier League, his 12 goals and two assists in 37 league games were remarkably impressive for a player in his debut season in the division and playing for a club that created so few chances. Delap’s 14 goal contributions this season may not have topped the English top-flight charts, but they did account for no less than 39 percent of his team’s total goals in the division. And, naturally, that has led many to ponder whether the young striker could score and assist even more if given the opportunity to lead the line for a better team. 

The prospect of Delap thriving at a higher level is also somewhat evident when we consider his career to date and how the young striker has seemingly risen to the occasion when introduced to a new league. As we can see in the graphic above, Delap somewhat struggled to make a name for himself in his first season in the Championship, averaging just 0.19 goals and assists per 90 minutes in two stints at Stoke and Preston, but in the following season at Hull that average jumped up to 0.41 per 90. Then, to the surprise of many, he then did even better in this season’s Premier League with an average of 0.48 goals and assists per 90. That not only points to a young striker that is certainly good enough to play in the English top-flight but also one that will likely get even better at sticking the ball in the back of the net in the years to come. 

 

Why are Man Utd signing Liam Delap?

While Man Utd have a long list of problems to solve in the summer off-season, one of their most pressing concerns has to be the lack of firepower in Amorim’s team. In this season’s Premier League campaign not a single player broke into double figures for goals scored, with Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo leading the goalscoring charts with just eight goals each. And, to the constant frustration of the Old Trafford faithful, forwards Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Højlund - who cost the club a combined €120.3m in transfer fees - managed just seven goals between them, averaging a pitiful 0.19 and 0.17 goals per 90 in the league respectively. In other words, Man Utd desperately need some attacking reinforcements this summer. 

The Old Trafford club have reportedly been hard at work attempting to find such recruits, with reports in England suggesting that Man Utd are on the verge of signing Matheus Cunha from Wolves. However, while the Brazilian attacker will likely play behind the main striker, Delap would be signed as a direct competitor to Højlund or Zirkzee and provide Amorim with some much-needed options if the aforementioned pair continue to struggle in front of goal next season. Capable of playing as the lone striker or in a partnership with another forward, Delap wouldn’t be signed with the intention of being Man Utd’s sole source of goals next season, but would be a useful addition to the club’s attacking arsenal.