Manchester United identify Premier League striker as top transfer target | Football

Manchester United have made Liam Delap their first choice target as they look to add a striker to their squad in the summer transfer window.

The Red Devils are looking to sign a centre-forward in the summer with their current options up front not proving very convincing.

Ruben Amorim has had the choice of Rasmus Hojlund or Joshua Zirkzee to lead the line since he arrived as manager and neither has impressed.

Both the Denmark and Netherlands internationals have scored just three goals in the Premier League this season, Hojlund in 26 outings, Zirkzee in 31.

Manchester United are considering a number of targets to improve up front and have identified Delap as their number one choice, according to ESPN.

Other names touted as targets for the Red Devils include Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko and Victor Osimhen, but they prefer the young Englishman.

Delap signed for Ipswich from Manchester City last summer for £20, penning a five-year contract with the newly-promoted side.

It looks set to be a swift return to the Championship for the Tractor Boys but Delap has impressed, scoring 12 goals in the top flight.

It appears very unlikely that the England Under-21 international will be heading back to the Championship with Ipswich, with Chelsea and Liverpool also credited with an interest in his signature.

Manchester City have a buy-back clause in his contract allowing them to re-sign the striker for £40m, but they are not expected to take up that option.

At £40m, Delap represents a significantly cheaper option to Gyokeres, who is also attracting interest from a string of Premier League giants.

The former Coventry City striker has a release clause at Sporting worth £85.4m, with Arsenal chief among the clubs chasing the Sweden international.

Gyokeres was prolific under Amorim at Sporting, so links with a move to join his former boss at Old Trafford are no surprise, but the Red Devils want Delap.

Speaking on his own future in February, Delap told the East Anglian Daily Times: ‘It’s engrained in us as footballers.

‘It’s so important, especially for me, to focus on where I’m at now. I’m so happy here, I’m enjoying it so much here. I just look forward to playing football. I take every game as it comes and focus on the next.

‘It is something that I try and stay away from. People around me have told me to stay away from it, it’s something that I’m very good at in focusing on what I want to do. That’s playing football here.

‘I’m really enjoying my time here and I enjoy playing every week. That’s the most important thing.

‘We know, as players and people, that there is noise. If we have a bad game and people are slating us for not performing or getting the right results, we stay focused on ourselves and what we have to achieve.’

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