Man Utd working on striker signing for stunning new fee

Manchester United can sign their number one striker target for £10m less than first thought, according to two separate sources.

A lack of firepower has hampered Ruben Amorim at every turn upon taking charge at Man Utd. Joshua Zirkzee looks more suited to one of the two spots behind the striker, which wouldn’t be an issue if Rasmus Hojlund were pulling his weight.

However, the Dane remarkably went 22 straight matches without scoring earlier this season and has notched just eight goals in 41 matches across all competitions.

Accordingly, GiveMeSport recently reported Amorim has decided enough is enough and Hojlund has been put up for sale.

The Red Devils fully intend to sign a new striker regardless of whether the Dane stays or goes. The likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, to name just four, have all been linked.

But per ESPN’s Mark Ogden, it’s a striker much closer to home – Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap – who has rocketed up United’s wanted list. Per the reporter, Delap is now Man Utd’s ‘top’ target for the striker position.

Adding weight to Ogden’s claims are comments made by the Athletic’s Man Utd expert, Laurie Whitwell.

“Delap is someone who is a genuine link,” declared Whitwell on The Overlap.

“[Jason] Wilcox had him when Manchester City signed him from Derby County as a young player, so that is something that they could explore, and that’s something that could make sense financially because I believe Delap has a relegation release clause.

“Something like £40m, that sounds like a palpable amount for a 22-year-old who’s now got 12 Premier League goals in his first season.”

But it’s now emerged Delap can actually be signed for much less than £40m…

Liam Delap available for bargain fee

The Guardian led the way, revealing part of Delap’s release clause relates to whether or not Ipswich avoid relegation to the Championship.

Should they fail to do so, Delap can be signed for just £30m. That is a small fraction of the sums it would take to sign the likes of Gyokeres or Sesko and with 12 goals to his name for a struggling side this term, Delap has already proven he’s a hit in the Premier League.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano subsequently confirmed the Guardian’s reporting regarding the £30m price tag in the event of relegation.

Ipswich have battled hard under Kieran McKenna this term, though their situation looks bleak to say the least.

The club are a whopping 12 points from safety at present with just seven matches remaining. All the signs point towards Delap being on the move for just £30m in a few months’ time.

What’s more, Ipswich’s outlook for recouping a big fee will be hindered even further by the presence of Manchester City’s sell-on clause, which is set at 20 percent.

City can also activate a buy-back clause if they wish, though with Erling Haaland and now Omar Marmoush in situ, Pep Guardiola’s side have no intention of bringing Delap back.

One gigantic club has thus been removed from Man Utd’s path to Delap, though it’s important to stress Chelsea are also lurking with intent.

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