Enzo Maresca and Pep Guardiola. (Image: Getty.)
are reportedly keen on striker Liam Delap, but may have to contend with despite outfit only selling him in the summer.
Delap has made a strong start to life at Portman Road, scoring six goals in 11 games for the newly promoted side. And his early form is attracting attention from Blues.
attempted to , but could not agree a deal in time and the Napoli hitman ended up joining Galatasaray on loan, where he has also shone in the first few months of the season.
claim that Delap has now emerged as a target for , with interest cooling in Osimhen, the 21-year-old is said to be showing up highly on the Blues’ advanced transfer metrics.
His movement and physical attributes have impressed those watching on from Stamford Bridge, though with Ipswich battling relegation they would likely reject any advances for their top scorer in January.
are no stranger to splashing the cash, however, and want to look at a younger alternative to Osimhen who would be more willing to fit within the club’s existing wage structure.
Chelsea target Liam Delap in action for Ipswich. (Image: Getty)
However, perhaps crucially for is that have a £20million buy-back deal in place to return Delap to the Etihad, should they wish to take up that option.
Incoming transfer chief Hugo Viana would unlikely want one of their rivals to be able to strengthen further and there is a lack of candidates to replace should the league’s top scorer pick up an injury.
After Julian Alvarez left for in a £82m summer deal, City opted against replacing the Argentine directly. The likes of and Oscar Bobb can lead the line, but if Haaland were to spend an extended period sidelined, another striker would be ideal.
And Delap represents a cost-effective and homegrown option. Whether he would want to return to Manchester to be a backup to Haaland remains to be seen, but impressive form at may land him in a similar situation regardless.
do have alternatives if Delap rejoins City or remains at Ipswich, despite Christopher Nkunku and Joao Felix preferring to play in a deeper role, but is not thought to be one of them.
There is confidence within the Magpies that their Swedish talisman is happy and committed at St James’ Park, despite interest from and .
, which runs until 2028, but he recently reaffirmed his intention to stay at over the international break.