Exclusive: Manchester City consider bringing back player who Pep Guardiola called 'special'
After missing out on Cole Palmer, could Manchester City avoid the same mistake with Liam Delap?
TBR Football can reveal that Manchester City have not ruled out bringing Liam Delap back to the club in 2025.
Delap, 21, left City in the summer to join Premier League new boys Ipswich Town and he has impressed hugely with six goals to his name already this season.
TBR is told that a number of City’s Premier League rivals are keeping close tabs on the England Under-21 star including Chelsea, Newcastle and Brighton.
However, amongst the potential options for Delap could be a return to the Etihad as the club are looking at bolstering their forward options next year.
Man City could launch bid to bring back Liam Delap
Sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed to TBR Football that City are ‘delighted’ to see Delap’s progress and that they are paying particularly close attention to his performances.
Having allowed Julian Alvarez to leave for Atletico Madrid in the summer, that left them without a real alternative to Erling Haaland and Delap could offer that.
TBR Football is told that Delap would be interested interested in the prospect and he knows he could offer some different as he has the ability to play wide or as a no 10, and is seen as similar to Alvarez so he could play in the same team as Haaland, rather than just being a back up.
When selling Delap to Ipswich for £20million, City included a sell-on worth around 20% but we can also confirm there is a buy-back which is worth in excess of £30million.
Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of ‘incredible finisher’ Liam Delap
City are not afraid to let young players prove themselves elsewhere, but they did not include a buy-back in the deal that saw Cole Palmer join Chelsea, but they could now have the option of bringing back one of their products who is turning into a huge talent.
Delap had begun his playing career at Derby County – where his father Rory had been playing – but was snapped up by City aged just 16 and progressed through their system into their first-team, making a handful of appearances before leaving this summer.
Previously City boss Pep Guardiola had singled Delap out for praise, calling him ‘special’.
“He is a killer, a typical British striker, an incredible finisher,” he told City’s official website.
“He has a special quality. He is a different type of striker.”
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