Chelsea and Manchester United on alert as Liam Delap release clause revealed
Liam Delap is set to become available this summer with a £30m relegation release clause (Shutterstock) Chelsea and Manchester United are on alert as Liam Delap has a relegation release clause in his deal with Ipswich Town, according to reports. Ipswich signed Delap from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £20 million last summer. The 22-year-old has been one of Ipswich’s standout performers under Kieran McKenna, scoring 12 goals in the Premier League so far this season. Delap has attracted interest from Chelsea and United ahead of the summer transfer window, with both clubs looking to sign a new striker. And according to The Guardian, Delap will be available for £30m due to a release clause in his contract that will become active if Ipswich are relegated from the Premier League. Get personalised updates on Manchester United every day Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. The report adds that as part of their transfer agreement with Ipswich last year, Manchester City also have a 20 per cent sell-on clause. Liam Delap has scored 12 Premier League goals this season (Getty) City are also understood to have a £40m buy-back option for Delap but are unlikely to trigger it this summer. As it stands, Ipswich sit 18th in the Premier League and 12 points adrift of safety with just seven games remaining. Speaking last week, Alan Shearer said he felt that Delap would become an immediate starter if he joined either Chelsea or United this summer. ‘Liam Delap has been one of the standouts in a really poor season for Ipswich and it’s difficult when you’re up against it every single week to stand out but he’s been one that has,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘Ipswich fans won’t want to hear it, but it’s inevitable that he’ll be linked with massive football clubs because he’s a really good talent. They’re sat on something special are Ipswich. They put their neck on the line and paid the money for him and they’ve done very well with him. What has Liam Delap said about his future? ‘I’m so happy here, I’m enjoying it so much here. I just look forward to playing football. I take every game as it comes and focus on the next,’ Delap said in an interview with the East Anglian Daily Times last month. ‘It [media speculation] is something that I try and stay away from. People around me have told me to stay away from it, it’s something that I’m very good at in focusing on what I want to do. That’s playing football here. ‘I’m really enjoying my time here and I enjoy playing every week. That’s the most important thing. We know, as players and people, that there is noise. If we have a bad game and people are slating us for not performing or getting the right results, we stay focused on ourselves and what we have to achieve.’ ‘Delap has stood out this season which unfortunately means that he will attract the attention of the big clubs. ‘It’s going to be very difficult for Ipswich to keep hold of him, particularly because if, as expected, they’re going to get relegated. Having had a taste of the Premier League, he won’t want to go back to the Championship. ‘He’ll want to stay in the big league, so it’s going to be very difficult for Ipswich to keep hold of him. ‘If they go down then he won’t want to stay. Who would want to go down and play in the Championship, having had a taste of Premier League football – that’s only natural. ‘Big clubs will be looking at him, because I think he’s got something about him. He’s got an arrogance about him, which I really like and he’s got an aura. ‘He’s already been linked with a number of clubs in the Premier League and looking at who he’s been linked with I think he can go in and command a starting role, because he’s better than anything Man Utd have got up front. He’s also better than anything Chelsea have got up front, so the answer is simple – yes, he would start for those clubs.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Chelsea and Manchester United are on alert as Liam Delap has a relegation release clause in his deal with Ipswich Town, according to reports.
Ipswich signed Delap from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £20 million last summer.
The 22-year-old has been one of Ipswich’s standout performers under Kieran McKenna, scoring 12 goals in the Premier League so far this season.
Delap has attracted interest from Chelsea and United ahead of the summer transfer window, with both clubs looking to sign a new striker.
And according to The Guardian, Delap will be available for £30m due to a release clause in his contract that will become active if Ipswich are relegated from the Premier League.
Get personalised updates on Manchester United every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you.
The report adds that as part of their transfer agreement with Ipswich last year, Manchester City also have a 20 per cent sell-on clause.
City are also understood to have a £40m buy-back option for Delap but are unlikely to trigger it this summer.
As it stands, Ipswich sit 18th in the Premier League and 12 points adrift of safety with just seven games remaining.
Speaking last week, Alan Shearer said he felt that Delap would become an immediate starter if he joined either Chelsea or United this summer.
‘Liam Delap has been one of the standouts in a really poor season for Ipswich and it’s difficult when you’re up against it every single week to stand out but he’s been one that has,’ Shearer told Betfair.
‘Ipswich fans won’t want to hear it, but it’s inevitable that he’ll be linked with massive football clubs because he’s a really good talent. They’re sat on something special are Ipswich. They put their neck on the line and paid the money for him and they’ve done very well with him.
What has Liam Delap said about his future?
‘I’m so happy here, I’m enjoying it so much here. I just look forward to playing football. I take every game as it comes and focus on the next,’ Delap said in an interview with the East Anglian Daily Times last month.
‘It [media speculation] is something that I try and stay away from. People around me have told me to stay away from it, it’s something that I’m very good at in focusing on what I want to do. That’s playing football here.
‘I’m really enjoying my time here and I enjoy playing every week. That’s the most important thing. We know, as players and people, that there is noise. If we have a bad game and people are slating us for not performing or getting the right results, we stay focused on ourselves and what we have to achieve.’
‘Delap has stood out this season which unfortunately means that he will attract the attention of the big clubs.
‘It’s going to be very difficult for Ipswich to keep hold of him, particularly because if, as expected, they’re going to get relegated. Having had a taste of the Premier League, he won’t want to go back to the Championship.
‘He’ll want to stay in the big league, so it’s going to be very difficult for Ipswich to keep hold of him.
‘If they go down then he won’t want to stay. Who would want to go down and play in the Championship, having had a taste of Premier League football – that’s only natural.
‘Big clubs will be looking at him, because I think he’s got something about him. He’s got an arrogance about him, which I really like and he’s got an aura.
‘He’s already been linked with a number of clubs in the Premier League and looking at who he’s been linked with I think he can go in and command a starting role, because he’s better than anything Man Utd have got up front. He’s also better than anything Chelsea have got up front, so the answer is simple – yes, he would start for those clubs.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
