Town boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed Blues striker Liam Delap has spent this week looking at his options, having been given permission to speak to Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle, the clubs leading the chase for his signature.
The 22-year-old is all but certain to leave Portman Road this summer with a £30 million relegation release clause in the contract he signed last summer when he joined from Manchester City for an initial £15 million.
McKenna confirmed that the England U21 international has, as previously reported, spent the week talking to Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle, the trio of clubs that, as it stands, Delap is choosing between.
"Liam’s looking at his options for next year, which I think he’s entitled to do and we support him with that,” McKenna said when asked about the situation.
"I think we’ve given him permission to do that this week. It’s a very important decision for his future.
"Of course, there’s a lot of interest and rightly so, so I think part of his week has been having some of those conversations.
"It looks more likely than not that he’ll move on this summer and he has interest from pretty much every club in the league, and I don’t think there are many clubs in the world who wouldn’t want to have him.
"I think it’s more likely than not Liam will move on. Nothing’s sorted, nothing’s done or completed or even very, very, very close, so that process will take its course.
"We’ll be proud of the part that we’ve had in terms of Liam’s development and his contribution this season.
"If he stays with us, we’ll be delighted, and if he moves on this summer, it will be a positive sign for the club, a positive step for the club to have developed and sold a player at that sort of level and hopefully it will be a good move for him as well.”
McKenna says the two have spoken about the striker’s next step: "I think that will remain private but, yes, if you want a short answer. I’ve spoken to Liam and he knows I’ll always try and help him in any way possible, not just myself but he has a fantastic relationship with the other staff here and other people around the club and he knows that we’re here to support and help and guide, as we have been from the first day. He knows we’re here to help him in any way.”
Reflecting on how far Delap can go in the game, the Blues boss added: "He’s got great potential, it’s clear for everyone to see. To do what he’s done this season in a newly promoted team that’s found it really difficult, not just in his goals but in some of his performances where he’s been almost impossible for the opposition to handle.
"I’ve said many times, he’s still young, he still has room to grow to be more consistent, to round off his game, but in terms of attributes, I think he’s as good as is out there anywhere in the world and he’s honed and developed them well this year and we’ll hope he continues to do so.”
McKenna anticipates the Town support giving Delap a positive send-off on Sunday: "I think it will be. I would never tell people what to do, whether they want to boo or clap, but I don’t see any of that, to be honest.
"He’s a young player, he came here in the summer and with these type of deals there are always clauses and protections from the players point of view, you’re not signing a player from Manchester City without that.
"He’s given everything to the cause, he’s entitled to make a decision on what he thinks is best for the future and I think the supporters will look back in time ahead with great fondness to some of his performances and some of the victories he was involved in and I really believe everyone will be following his career, if it isn’t at Ipswich, with the best of wishes.”