Arsenal join race to sign 21-year-old Premier League breakout star wanted by Chelsea: Reports

Arsenal have joined the race to sign 21-year-old Premier League breakout talent Liam Delap, who is also on Chelsea's radar. The young forward plays for newly promoted side Ipswich Town, and he has already scored six goals and provided one assist in 12 Premier League matches.

He only just joined Ipswich this summer, making the decision to leave Manchester City after he made just six appearances in four years. Much of his time in the City first team was spent out on loan in the Championship with clubs like Stoke City, Preston North End, and Hull City.

Clearly, he did a lot to impress the hierarchy at Portman Road, as they paid up to £20 million to sign him from Manchester City. He has been a revelation for the club in their fight against relegation, which other teams in the Premier League have taken notice of.

According to reports from Caught Offside, Arsenal are carefully assessing the 21-year-old forward. They have been on the hunt for a striker in recent transfer windows, with players like Newcastle United's Alexander Isak and Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres on their radar.

However, they aren't the only ones watching him. Other Premier League clubs like Chelsea, Newcastle, and Aston Villa are all monitoring his progress at Portman Road. Clubs across Europe have also taken notice of him, with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, and PSV keeping him in their sights.

Manchester City are believed to have an advantage in this race, as they reportedly included a buy-back clause of £20 million to re-sign him in the future. Time will tell if any major Premier League club makes a move for him in the January transfer window.

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Former defender warns Arsenal and Chelsea about signing Viktor Gyokeres

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has warned Arsenal and Chelsea about their interest in Viktor Gyokeres. The striker was widely expected to cause problems for the Gunners who played against Sporting in Lisbon in the Champions League on November 26.

The Gunners won 5-1, as Gyokeres struggled to get past centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Speaking with TNT Sports, Ferdinand Said (via Metro):

"His strengths played into the strengths of the two central defenders he was up against and that’s what he’d find in the Premier League week in week out. Two big strong centre halves the majority of the time. Can he deal with them?"

He added:

"Have I seen enough to say he can come to the Premier League and be a success? I’m not saying he wouldn’t, but I’m saying you’d need to see more than what we saw today."

Gyokeres will need to improve on his performances, especially against English sides, if he is to convince clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea to move for him.