Ipswich ‘will be forced to sell Liam Delap after Chelsea twist’
Ipswich Town will be forced to let Liam Delap leave Portman Road in the summer if they are relegated from the Premier League.
That is according to former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that the financial implications of relegation could mean they have to sell.
Delap, 22, is viewed as one of the clear sellable assets for Kieran McKenna’s side thanks to his performances in the Premier League which have attracted plenty of high-profile interest.
This comes after Football Insider revealed on 10 February that both Man United and Chelsea are keen on a summer move to sign the striker.
So far this season, he has scored ten Premier League goals in 24 appearances, with his tenth coming in an impressive 1-1 draw against Aston Villa.
Ipswich currently occupy 18th place in the table, two points away from Wolves in 17th, and believe they can pull off a surprise by avoiding relegation.
Ipswich to make Liam Delap exit decision after relegation
McKenna’s side are the current favourites to go back down to the Championship alongside the other promoted sides Southampton and Leicester.
Brown, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment after over a decade at Man United during their most successful period, insisted that Delap will already have been earmarked as a potential sale to raise funds.
“They will want to keep hold of their best players,” he told Football Insider.
“But if they’re getting big offers going into the Championship, they will seriously consider them.
“When you go down, all your players are still on Premier League contracts.
“There are usually clauses to reduce wages by 20 per cent or so, because that helps clubs protect themselves for having these big commitments.
“But it can still cause problems for the clubs who then need to bring money in from somewhere.
“Ipswich, in that case, will look at Delap and think he’s somebody they could make money on.
“They could make £20million profit after what they spent on him in the summer, and then that would go either towards strengthening the team or into the club.
“The problem then comes if you’re looking to bounce back up and you’ve had to cash in on your best players.“
Man City make Liam Delap buy-back clause decision
Amid high praise for his performances for Ipswich in the Premier League this season, Delap has been continuously linked with moves to some of the league’s elite sides.
Man United and Chelsea have both shown an interest, while a number of sides including Man City are believed to be keeping a close eye on his progress.
However, Football Insider revealed on 12 February that Pep Guardiola’s side are unlikely to activate their buy-back clause included in the deal to let him leave permanently.
Instead, they will concentrate on strengthening other areas of their side including the midfield and defence after spending £180million in January.
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