Tottenham Hotspur are interested in Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap but face competition from bitter London rivals Chelsea for his signature.
Liam Delap, 21, moved to Portman Road over the summer in a deal worth up to £20m from Manchester City. Just a matter of months into his five-year contract at Ipswich Town, the Englishman has become highly-sought after within the upper echelons of the Premier League. He has netted eight goals and supplied two assists in 19 league appearances, becoming the one-man wrecking ball leading the Tractor Boys’ survival charge.
The 21-year-old has emerged as a target for several Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and Chelsea. According to reputed journalist Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are the early frontrunners for Delap’s signature but Spurs’ interest in the centre-forward cannot be discounted. Tottenham have been ‘very impressed’ by the England under-23 international, who netted in Ipswich’s shock 2-1 win over Ange Postecoglou’s side in November.
Ben Jacobs claims Tottenham’s interest in Liam Delap should not be ‘discounted’
“Don’t discount Tottenham, they have been very impressed with Delap as everyone has been this season, it’s eight Premier League goals and don’t just look at his goals you look at his hold-up play, the physicality, the hard work he does for his team off the ball, the intelligence and the monster mentality we know Ange Postecoglou likes,” Ben Jacobs said on Last Word On Spurs podcast.
“So, keep an eye on Delap, there will be several Premier League and Europe clubs in the mix. Chelsea are the early front runners but Tottenham are not to be discounted.”
Tottenham broke their club-record by signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth last summer, paying a £65m premium to fill in the void left by superstar Harry Kane in 2023. Solanke has done well for Ange Postecoglou’s side but he has had to shoulder the responsibility of leading the line in almost every game without being given a break. Richarlison has spent majority of the first half of the season on the sidelines while Son Heung-min is more effective down the left flank.
Thus, the North Londoners are eyeing another centre-forward in the form of Delap to cover and compete with Solanke. In a side struggling at the wrong end of the table, Delap with his eight strikes has proved himself more than capable of delivering at a high level. He is just 21 and has a lot of room for improvement but the signs the centre-forward has been showing at Ipswich is extremely promising.
It remains to be seen whether Spurs can beat Chelsea to Delap’s signing or the centre-forward stays put at Portman Road and tries to help Kieran McKenna’s side retain their top-flight status.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
