Manchester United and Chelsea will fight it out for the signature of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The former Manchester City player will be available for just £30m at the end of the season due to a clause in his contract.

That price has attracted several clubs, including the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle, West Ham and Liverpool, but writing in his column for GiveMeSport, Romano said:

“It’s between Man United and Chelsea now, both keen on signing the player. They’re ahead of Bundesliga clubs.”

Why are United so determined to sign Delap?

Both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis this season, with the former having scored just 3 Premier League goals.

However, the Red Devils are restricted in what they can spend this summer due to the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules.

Delap’s availability for such a low fee, therefore, makes him a very attractive target. The fact that he has scored 12 times in the league for a struggling team suggests he could produce higher numbers if given the opportunity to do so.

A second striker could also be signed

Ruben Amorim’s side are believed to be interested in buying Wolves’ Matheus Cunha as well. A deal for the Brazilian will, however, be more complicated to complete.

In addition to the competition for his signature, his £62.5m release clause would make him an expensive purchase. United may need to offload several players if they want to bring in both Delap and Cunha during the same transfer window.

If Marcus Rashford does move to Aston Villa on a permanent basis, and Jadon Sancho also remains at Chelsea, those departures would bring in the necessary funds but there is no certainty that either deal will go ahead at the moment.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here or look at the Premier League Standings