United are one step closer to signing Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, with the 22-year-old England promising that even if the Red Devils miss out on Champions League qualification next season, it won't affect his choice to play at Old Trafford. In the penultimate round of the Premier League, Delap, who had already decided to leave in the summer window, was reduced to a substitute and was only available after 70 minutes, and the team lost 2-0 to Leicester City and fell to the bottom of the bottom.
Manchester United, who are near the bottom of the Premier League table, will only qualify for Europe by winning the Europa League, which could affect the possibility of Ruben Amorim bringing in new signings, as many of the players are looking to join Champions League clubs. However, Sky Sports reports that a deal for Junior Dropp to join Manchester United is "very close".
Sky Sports transfer journalist Cavi Solchkor said: "What we've heard is that Manchester United have a good chance of signing Delap. One source even told us that he thinks the deal is very close to being done and that the player would be happy to move to Manchester United. Despite United's poor performance this season, he still believes that Manchester United are a big club."
Delap is said to see a move to Manchester United as an improvement for him and would love to be part of England's oldest club. His £30 million liquidated damages, as well as his £150,000 weekly wage demand, are not an obstacle for Manchester United.
If United win the Europa League, the possibility of a deal being completed by Delap is almost certain. However, just like the fans, there are polarized views of Delap within United and among celebrities, with some believing that he can improve the team's scoring ability, while others believe that he is not qualified.
Giggs said: 'It's definitely going to make progress and Delap and Cunha both have Premier League experience, which is a huge advantage. Seeing better players in the dressing room during pre-season is not only an inspiration to the fans, but also a motivation for the players."
But Pallister said: "Delap is aggressive, he's got a good academy at Manchester City and he's a threat. But he's still young, United already have young strikers like Hojlund and Zilkedze, and Amorim needs a mature goalscorer, experienced, who can score more than 20 goals in a single season."
Statistically, Drape Jr. is not yet a top scorer and is not overwhelmingly dominant in creativity and goals in the final third. But he has three strengths that appeal to Amorim: pushing with the ball, heading and being aggressive defensively. In Ipswich's tactical system, Delap is more adept at advancing with the ball, and passing and shooting could be improved. However, he was resilient defensively and was actively involved in headers and clearances, although tackles and interceptions were not great.
Overall, Delap is a striker with great physicality, a willingness to dribble and a lot of defensive contributions, but he still needs to improve his finishing touches and link-ups to succeed at the highest level.
Amorim's first transfer priority in the summer window is 100 per cent of the strikers, with many players linked with Manchester United, with the latest name being Nottingham Forest winger Callum Hudson-Odoi. In fact, he is not a new target, as Hudson-Odoi was the subject of rumours for the Red Devils while still at Chelsea.
After a £3.5 million move to Forest, Hudson-Odoi has scored five goals and provided two assists this season, joining Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White and Anthony Elanga as 'Nottingham F4'. Manchester United are reportedly keeping a close eye on Hudson-Odoi, whose contract with Forest expires in 2026 and has no sign of a renewal yet, with Serie A side Roma and Napoli also keeping an eye on the 24-year-old England.
Of course, the chances of Hudson-Odoi joining Manchester United are low, as he is not as good as Sweden's fast horse Elanga, whom the Red Devils have sold. The rest of Manchester United's wingers are rumored to be selected, in addition to joining Cunha, there is almost no suspense about joining, as well as Brentford's Mbeumo, Leipzig Red Bull's Xavi Simons and so on. Whether or not these players actually join depends on whether they qualify for the Champions League, but regardless of the outcome of the Europa League final, Amorim will buy a new centre-forward.