Tottenham 'frontrunners' for Chelsea target which could bank Man City tidy £6m windfall

Liam Delap has hit the ground running at Ipswich (Image: Getty)

Tottenham are reportedly leading the race to sign Ipswich Town star Liam Delap.

The forward has hit the ground running at Portman Road since joining the club from Manchester City in a deal worth £15million, plus an additional £5m in add-ons.

Delap has scored four goals in eight appearances for the Tractor Boys, leading the line impressively for Kieran McKenna’s side with his runs in behind and unselfish hold-up play to open up space for Ipswich’s pacey wingers.

However, Delap’s displays have not gone unnoticed around the Premier League and he could leave Ipswich as early as the January transfer window.

According to CaughtOffside, Spurs are ‘front-runners’ to secure the signature of the 21-year-old in the upcoming window after being impressed by how he has taken to life in the English top-flight.

Ange Postecoglou’s side are not alone in their interest in Delap though. Chelsea have been linked with the forward previously, and Arsenal, Newcastle and Aston Villa have also now been named among his admirers.

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Manchester City inserted a sell-on clause into Delap’s contract at Ipswich (Image: Getty)

Ipswich are in no hurry to part ways with their No. 19 as they bid to avoid relegation, though offers in the region of £33m will be ‘evaluated’. The fee would certainly not be out of reach for the aforementioned clubs, and the Tractor Boys won’t be the only club hoping for a bidding war.

Upon agreeing to offload the striker, City inserted a 20 per cent sell-on clause into Delap’s contract with Ipswich and they will therefore bank a fee in the region of £6m if a bid of £33m is accepted in January.

Ange Postecoglou is keen to bolster his attacking ranks (Image: Getty)

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Pep Guardiola’s side could also prevent there from even being a race to sign Delap as they also negotiated a buy-back clause in the deal which would see Ipswich make a healthy profit nonetheless. City are said to be monitoring the situation closely.

The reigning Premier League champions currently only have Erling Haaland as their natural striker option after allowing Julian Alvarez to join Atletico Madrid over the summer. City assessed several replacement options before signing Ilkay Gundogan and ruling that the German international, along with several other midfielders, are capable of playing as a makeshift striker if Haaland is rested or sidelined with injury.

However, with Delap already thriving, they could quickly change their tune and bring him back to the Etihad Stadium if they desire, much to the frustration of Spurs.

Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1965473/Tottenham-transfer-news-Liam-Delap-Chelsea-Man-City