Paul Merson urges £30m striker to reject Arsenal and Chelsea in favour of Manchester United
Liam Delap has scored 12 goals in the Premier League this season (Getty) Paul Merson has urged Liam Delap to join either Manchester United or Aston Villa ahead of Arsenal or Chelsea this summer. Delap is expected to be one of the Premier League’s most in-demand strikers this summer following his impressive debut season at Ipswich Town. The 22-year-old, who joined Ipswich in a £20 million deal from Manchester City last year, has scored 12 goals in the Premier League so far this season. Delap could be available for £30 million this summer due to a relegation release clause in his deal with Ipswich, who are currently 12 points adrift of safety with seven Premier League games remaining. Both Chelsea and United have Delap on their striker shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window, while Arsenal have also been tipped to make a move for the Ipswich striker. 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. However, Merson believes Delap needs to carefully consider which team would best suit his playing style. ‘He’s a talent, £30m is not a lot of money for a player of his age,’ Merson told Sky Sports. Liam Delap is set to be available this summer for £30m due to a relegation release clause (Getty) ‘He’s got to pick the right club to go to. He plays with a lot of grass in front of him at Ipswich where teams have a good. He’s a good runner, he makes good runs, but he has a got a lot of grass in front of him, he’s got to weigh it up where he goes. ‘I’ve seen people like Lukaku come to Chelsea, [opposing teams] sit 10 behind the ball, and it’s hard, they haven’t got that guile, I don’t know if he’s got that one-two, flick it around the corner, going again. ‘I think he’s got to pick the right team for him. I think he needs to sit down with his agent and his dad [Rory] who knows his football, his dad played at the top level, and think where’s the best place for him. ‘It’s not always about the money, it’ll be about he’s a young kid, what game suits him, what team suits him for the way he plays and the chances he gets. 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.’ For me, who ticks the box would be Aston Villa. Big pitch, they play on the counter attack as well, so teams come and have a go at Aston Villa, I don’t mean that disrespectfully. But they [opposing teams] will have a go at them. ‘I just think with a bigger club, like Chelsea or Arsenal, Man City, they sit 10 behind the ball. ‘I think Man United would be a good fit, I think Man United would be a brilliant fit for him. ‘He’s willing, he makes good runs, he’s strong, he can hold the ball up and he can score goals. ‘Sometimes people say it’s harder to score goals in a bad team but that’s not always the case. They have a go, other teams just open the game up and play end-to-end football, you get more chances. ‘I do like him, I think he’s a good player, I think he’ll be a star, but he’s got to pick the right move, he’s got to get this right whatever he does. He could go somewhere and not really play, that’s no good to him, he’s a young kid, or he goes somewhere and they don’t suit the way he plays.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Paul Merson has urged Liam Delap to join either Manchester United or Aston Villa ahead of Arsenal or Chelsea this summer.
Delap is expected to be one of the Premier League’s most in-demand strikers this summer following his impressive debut season at Ipswich Town.
The 22-year-old, who joined Ipswich in a £20 million deal from Manchester City last year, has scored 12 goals in the Premier League so far this season.
Delap could be available for £30 million this summer due to a relegation release clause in his deal with Ipswich, who are currently 12 points adrift of safety with seven Premier League games remaining.
Both Chelsea and United have Delap on their striker shortlist ahead of the summer transfer window, while Arsenal have also been tipped to make a move for the Ipswich striker.
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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.
However, Merson believes Delap needs to carefully consider which team would best suit his playing style.
‘He’s a talent, £30m is not a lot of money for a player of his age,’ Merson told Sky Sports.
‘He’s got to pick the right club to go to. He plays with a lot of grass in front of him at Ipswich where teams have a good. He’s a good runner, he makes good runs, but he has a got a lot of grass in front of him, he’s got to weigh it up where he goes.
‘I’ve seen people like Lukaku come to Chelsea, [opposing teams] sit 10 behind the ball, and it’s hard, they haven’t got that guile, I don’t know if he’s got that one-two, flick it around the corner, going again.
‘I think he’s got to pick the right team for him. I think he needs to sit down with his agent and his dad [Rory] who knows his football, his dad played at the top level, and think where’s the best place for him.
‘It’s not always about the money, it’ll be about he’s a young kid, what game suits him, what team suits him for the way he plays and the chances he gets.
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.’
For me, who ticks the box would be Aston Villa. Big pitch, they play on the counter attack as well, so teams come and have a go at Aston Villa, I don’t mean that disrespectfully. But they [opposing teams] will have a go at them.
‘I just think with a bigger club, like Chelsea or Arsenal, Man City, they sit 10 behind the ball.
‘I think Man United would be a good fit, I think Man United would be a brilliant fit for him.
‘He’s willing, he makes good runs, he’s strong, he can hold the ball up and he can score goals.
‘Sometimes people say it’s harder to score goals in a bad team but that’s not always the case. They have a go, other teams just open the game up and play end-to-end football, you get more chances.
‘I do like him, I think he’s a good player, I think he’ll be a star, but he’s got to pick the right move, he’s got to get this right whatever he does. He could go somewhere and not really play, that’s no good to him, he’s a young kid, or he goes somewhere and they don’t suit the way he plays.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
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