Top striker target will sign if two guarantees made

The ‘current leading target’ Manchester United aim to sign as their new striker has two conditions that must be ticked off before agreeing to move, according to a report.

The upcoming summer window will provide Ruben Amorim with his first real opportunity to reshape the Man Utd squad in his image. The Red Devils are known to be working with a smaller budget than rivals like Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City, meaning player sales will be vital in determining the scale of the rebuild.

Additions are being sought in multiple positions including right wing-back, centre-back, central midfield, the No 10 spots behind the striker, and of course, striker.

With so many areas requiring attention, Man Utd are understood to have locked on to Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap as their favoured striker target.

The 22-year-old is not the high profile name the likes of Viktor Gyokeres or Benjamin Sesko are, though he’s enjoyed a fine season nonetheless.

Delap has bagged 12 league goals in a breakthrough campaign and via a clause in his contract, can be signed for £10m less than first thought.

Delap’s deal at Portman Road contains a release clause worth £40m. However, if Ipswich suffer relegation – which looks a formality – the value of the clause drops to just £30m.

A fresh update from the Telegraph has reaffirmed reports Delap is the ‘current leading target’ at Man Utd.

What’s more, they also detailed two conditions that Man Utd must meet to stand serious hope of securing a deal.

Firstly, the in-demand Delap will insist he immediately be installed as the starting striker at his new club. If a side cannot make that guarantee, Delap is expected to snub their interest.

That should not prove a problem for Amorim and Man Utd given the wildly disappointing displays produced by Rasmus Hojlund this season.

Indeed, GiveMeSport recently stated Amorim has decided enough is enough and Man Utd have transfer-listed the Dane.

The second box Delap wants ticked is the presence of European football.

Man Utd currently sit all the way down in 13th spot and are almost certain to miss out on European qualification via league position.

However, winning the Europa League would net United a place in next season’s Champions League.

Man Utd drew Lyon in the quarter-finals, with the winners of Athletic Bilbao and Rangers awaiting in the semi-final. An all-English final versus Tottenham could be on the horizon, assuming both clubs advance, of course.

Liam Delap race boiling down to two clubs

Man Utd are not the only game in town for Delap who according to the Athletic, is also being courted by Chelsea and ‘half the Premier League’ too.

The Telegraph detailed interest in Delap from Serie A and Bundesliga sides too, though suggested the race may come down to Man Utd vs Chelsea.

Manchester City actually hold the ace card thanks to the presence of a buy-back clause inserted upon selling Delap to Ipswich for £20m last summer.

However, City are not understood to be considering activating the clause given the presence of Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush.

And as the Telegraph stated, Delap would not be on board with re-joining City anyway given he would not displace Haaland as the regular starter.

City will still have one eye on what happens with Delap, however, with the club due to collect 20 percent of Ipswich’s sale price through a sell-on clause.

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