Liam Delap is expected to snub interest from Everton, Manchester United and Newcastle United in favour of joining Chelsea.
The Ipswich Town frontman had his pick of a small bunch in the lead-up to the transfer window opening and has ultimately swayed towards Stamford Bridge.
Alas, the prospective move would see him reunite with Enzo Maresca, whom he worked with during his time at Manchester City.
It’s thought that United’s failure to secure their spot in next season’s Champions League – or any European competition, for that matter – put their pursuit of Delap in real jeopardy, allowing Chelsea a free run at activating his £30 million release clause.
United can’t dwell over Liam Delap rejection
Yet, where one door closes, another one opens.
Being unable to get a deal over the line for Delap has, in turn, boosted United’s chances of signing standout Premier League performer Bryan Mbeumo; GiveMeSport claims United would be ‘significantly more likely’ to land the Cameroonian in the event they did indeed miss out on Delap.
Albeit a more senior star and not an out-and-out centre-forward by nature, the Brentford talisman, who ex-Chelsea defender Jason Cundy dubbed as a ‘mini-[Mohammed] Salah’, is widely expected to be on the move this summer after six years in West London.
The Bees signed Mbeumo from Troyes for a fee of just £5.8m – a then-club record fee – back in 2019, and now value him in the region of £50-60m, meaning they stand to make at least £44.2m profit through his sale.
Bryan Mbeumo emerges as a concrete target for Reds
Brentford’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on the league’s final day last Sunday saw Mbeumo break the 20-goal mark for the first-ever time in the division. He also scored 11 more goals than last campaign, making it no surprise his stellar showings have caught the eyes of INEOS chiefs.
Thomas Frank has previously conceded that his trusty lieutenant will likely depart before 2025/2026 gets underway. He told Sky Sports: “If the price is right – and that’s going to be expensive – and is coming, then I’m sure the club will be open to it. I’ve said many times: we are a selling club. But at the same time, we have to reinforce that there are 10 clubs in the world that aren’t selling clubs.”
Mbuemo would be a good signing and he’s PL-proven. If we can’t get Mbuemo, then I’d aim for Cherki.
Not surprised about Delap – he’s obviously looking out for himself. I guess that leaves Mateta as a potential PL-proven target (if we can afford him). Otherwise, we’re going to have to be innovative – we CANNOT rely on Hojlund next season.