Chelsea confident of beating Manchester United to top striker target in £30m deal: report

Chelsea believe they can beat Manchester United in the race to sign Liam Delap this summer, according to The Sun. The English striker has been in fantastic form for Ipswich Town this season, registering 12 goals and two assists from 38 games in all competitions.

Delap's £30m release clause has been activated for the summer following the Suffolk-based club's relegation from the Premier League. The Red Devils are keeping a close eye on his situation as they look to refurbish their attack.

Manchester United have struggled in the final third this season and are looking for attacking reinforcements at the moment. A new No. 9 is a priority for Ruben Amorim ahead of the new campaign, and Delap is reportedly on his radar.

The Red Devils are looking to rope in the Englishman and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha this summer. It was previously believed that Delap prefers to join Manchester United over Chelsea.

However, his move to Old Trafford could depend on the outcome of the Europa League final, where the Red Devils face Tottenham Hotspur next week. The winners will earn a place in next season's Champions League.

Meanwhile, the Blues are also in the market for a new striker and have found a suitable candidate in Delap. The London giants may even have an advantage in the race, as Enzo Maresca has already worked with Delap during his formative years at Manchester City. Chelsea are currently fifth in the Premier League table, and have a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League as well.

Will Chelsea and Manchester United battle for a Nigerian striker?

Chelsea and Manchester United could lock horns for the services of Victor Osimhen this summer, according to 90 Min (via the BBC). The Blues were heavily linked with the Nigerian striker last year, but failed to get a deal across the line.

Osimhen left Napoli on loan to join Galatasaray and has registered 33 goals and eight assists from 38 games across competitions so far. The 26-year-old is expected to leave the Serie A side permanently this summer, and the London giants haven't ruled out a move yet.

Chelsea are looking for an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson, and Osimhen fits the bill. However, Manchester United have been linked with the Nigerian as well, and could pose a threat to the Blues' plans. The London giants also have Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres on their radar.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over six years at Sportskeeda. He has written 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 19.5 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

Know More

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava