Manchester United are reported to have held direct talks with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, who is also a key transfer target for Chelsea.
Delap has enjoyed an impressive individual Premier League campaign, racking up 12 goals in 36 games for an Ipswich side whose relegation saw a release clause of £30 million ($40.1 million) become active in his contract.
Chelsea have been linked with Delap for the majority of the campaign but United recently signalled their intent to rival the Blues by making him their top striker target for the summer transfer window, and The Athletic state talks have now been held over a possible switch to Old Trafford.
Delap was reportedly granted permission by Ipswich to travel up to Manchester for face-to-face talks with United, with the 22-year-old keen to explore all his options before making a final decision.
Indeed, Delap is expected to hold “meaningful talks” with each of his suitors, including Chelsea, as he prepares to take the jump and switch clubs this summer.
United want Delap to be part of an attacking rebuild which is expected to be spearheaded by the arrival of Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha.
Progress has been made in talks with the Brazil international, who is thought to be prioritising a move to Old Trafford over interest from elsewhere. An agreement over personal terms is not yet finalised but is moving in the right direction.
Cunha is seen as an attacking midfielder by United manager Ruben Amorim, who has been impressed by the 25-year-old’s performances in a similar 3-4-2-1 setup to the one which he has so far struggled to implement at Old Trafford.
United are planning to trigger Cunha’s release clause of £62.5 million ($83.5 million) once the transfer window opens on June 1 and are understood to have the necessary finances to pursue deals for both Cunha and Delap regardless of whether they win Wednesday’s Europa League final and qualify for the Champions League.
The terms of Cunha’s release clause are favourable to buying clubs as it can be paid in three instalments—the first upon signing and the final two over the next two years—but United could even seek to negotiate a different payment plan. Wolves are thought to be open-minded.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd ‘Hold Talks’ With Key Striker Target Ahead of Chelsea.
