Manchester United could miss out on £40m summer transfer due to secret clause

Manchester United are expected to be active in the transfer window this summer as Ruben Amorim plots an overhaul of the team which has struggled in the Premier League

Liam Delap is likely to have a whole host of Premier League suitors to choose from if he does move on from Ipswich Town this summer. But Manchester City could trump all of their rivals due to their buyback option on the striker.

Delap, 22, has been one of the few positives from a difficult campaign for Ipswich, who are facing an instant return to the Championship barring a drastic upturn in form over the coming weeks. And the vultures are already circling when it comes to Delap, who is likely to remain in the top-flight regardless of whether the Tractor Boys stay up or not.

A host of clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United, are interested in signing the England Under-21 star, who has scored 10 league goals for Ipswich this term.

It emerged earlier this week that Delap, who joined Ipswich for £20million last summer, will be available for just £40m in the summer due to a release clause. But another clause could see the Manchester City academy graduate head back to The Etihad.

As outlined by The Mail, the Premier League champions hold a buyback option on Delap, who was given the green light to leave the club permanently after spells out on loan.

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And it turns out City are also among five clubs who are now keeping a close eye on Delap ahead of the summer transfer window. Liverpool and Newcastle are Delap’s other admirers.

While their neighbours do theoretically have the power to scupper their plans when it comes to Delap, Manchester United could have an ace up their sleeve in the form of Jason Wilcox, who knows the striker from his time in charge of City’s academy.

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Delap is just one of a number of striker targets United have scouted. A new No.9 is thought to be a priority for Ruben Amorim due to the low output of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee this term.

Amorim is known to be an avid admirer of Viktor Gyokeres: the Swedish striker he managed at Sporting Lisbon. But it has now emerged that United are not among the seven clubs he would be willing to join, per A Bola.

Intriguingly, it’s claimed Gyokeres would be willing to join City, Liverpool or Arsenal, all of whom are expected to be in the market for attacking reinforcements ahead in the summer.

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