Town are reported to have agreed a deal with Manchester City for striker Liam Delap.

As TWTD revealed yesterday, Delap was at Town last Thursday to look around while also making similar trips to other clubs.

The extent of the interest was played down but things appear to have moved quickly and now, according to The Athletic, Town and City have agreed a fee of £15 million plus a further £5 million in add-ons. Elsewhere it's reported that the deal includes a sell-on of circa 20 per cent and a buyback clause.

Southampton have also agreed terms for the former England U16, U17, U18, U19, U20 and U21 international but the 21-year-old has opted to join the Blues and is expected to undergo a medical on Wednesday with personal terms not believed to be a stumbling block.

Delap, son of former Stoke long throw expert Rory, was poached from Derby County’s youth set-up by City in 2019.

Since then, he has spent time on loan at Stoke, Preston and last season Hull City where he scored eight times in 26 starts and six sub appearances.

For his parent club, the 6ft 1in tall frontman, who is contracted to City until the summer of 2026, has made two sub appearances in the Premier League as well as four cup appearances, scoring three goals.

Delap is the third member of last season’s Tigers side to be mentioned in connection with the Blues this summer with Town having made a double bid for winger Jaden Philogene and central defender Jacob Greaves.

In October, Blues boss McKenna revealed he had changed his regular backline for Hull’s visit to Portman Road to deal with Delap’s threat, bringing in George Edmundson for Cameron Burgess.

“Cameron’s fine, I just wanted to put George in tonight,” he said. “We thought he’s been training really well, has played really well in the cup competitions and I thought his qualities tonight against Liam Delap would be really important.

“There are not many more powerful runners than George against one of the more powerful runners in the league.”

Town have been in the market for another central striker ahead of their return to the Premier League to compete with George Hirst.

The Blues made an offer ultimately worth €25 million (£21.1 million) to Panathinaikos for striker Fotis Ioannidis a fortnight ago which was their second bid but like the first that was rebuffed.

There had been no progress on that front since then and the Blues evidently moved on to another option. Ioannidis is expected to join Serie A Bologna.

Meanwhile, former Blues striker Kieffer Moore, 31, who ended last season back on loan with Town from AFC Bournemouth and scored seven times, is understood to be interesting Sheffield United.

Photo: Sipa USA

Uhlenbeek added 14:02 - Jul 9 Wow, if these 3 deals come off in the next 24 hours then thats superb work by Ashton and the team. Im less sure on Delap, he looked ok in the champ but its a huge step up for a striker more than any other position to the prem. He definitely fits the Mckenna striker mould though. In Ashton and McKenna we trust!
10

victorysquad added 14:03 - Jul 9 Would be great signing, and takes some pressure off Hirst. The two of them can alternate and provide back up for each other. I don't see them even being in competition, they will compliment each other, and whilst some days one might start, another game, they could switch.
3

Linkboy13 added 14:05 - Jul 9 Ive been rabbiting on about Liam Delap to my mates for about 6 months now saying he's the player I'd like to sign he gave us no end of problems with his power and pace at Portman road. Great minds think alike and he's only 21 an up and coming youngster by Ipswich standards.
9

Len_Brennan added 14:05 - Jul 9 What a bonus it will be if we can get these 3 signings (maybe more??) completed in time for Delap, Philogene & Greaves to join Omari & Johnson on the plane to Austria next Monday. Nearly having a full pre-sesson with their new teammates, under McKenna, would see us in a good position to get off to a strong start again next season; watch out Liverpool.
2

blues1 added 14:06 - Jul 9 Uhlenbeek. What id say is this. Are you sure about Hirst in the PL? Certainly no reason to be any less sure of Delap than Hirst. As u kind of say tho, if Mckenna thinks he's good enough, who are we to doubt him.
4

Kentish_Tractor added 14:06 - Jul 9 Ashton certainly wasn't lying when he said we weren't here to make up numbers! Omari 20m + Greaves 20m + Philogene 20m + Delap 15m 75m spent already and were still after a keeper and a CM. We're going to top 100m at this rate. Granted we need them to stay up but these figures are staggering!
5

mathiemagic added 14:16 - Jul 9 Loving the signings so far and these potential ones look good too, I really do have to keep pinching myself that this is all happening !
2

Keanos_Barmy added 14:18 - Jul 9 I don't want to sound negative in such exciting times, but all this expenditure must be nudging us close to profit and sustainability regulation limits. Not that I doubt Ashton and the Americans' prudence.
2

BeattiesBackPocket added 14:20 - Jul 9 Loving this signing. Said to the guy I sit with in the robson stand he was by far their best player. People doubting his scoring record need to realise Cole palmer only scored 1 goal in about 18 games then went to Chelsea and the rest is history. Don’t forget most of this guys games for hull were out wide as well same as palmer was played for the most part at city. If we can get the other two through the door then it’s been a great transfer window so far and I doubt they’re finished yet either.

5

Suffolkboy added 14:20 - Jul 9 No reasons at all to doubt ,or not to trust MA and KM: they indicated a great deal of planning ahead had been done — and so it has ! ITFC have to be at the forefront of the new Premiership scene ; works at Portman Rd ,at Playford Rd , on new playing surfaces AND on Co- operation with the Borough and County Council — we should admire and pay tribute to the energy and enthusiasm of ‘our’ Management team . It’s only pre season but the interest and excitement justifiably continues . COYB

4

Tommy_ITFC added 14:23 - Jul 9 I can see what he's doing. I can see it , I can feel it. He is cooking.
2

ITFCMonk added 14:30 - Jul 9 Don’t forget the Hutchinson deal will go down in the accounts for the previous season
1

blues1 added 14:31 - Jul 9 KeanosBarmy. No, it won't be. We get around £150m for getting promoted plus tv money. So we are nowhere near the PSR limits yet.
2

cmarkchips added 14:32 - Jul 9 Better move than the Greek who may not have settled. May just help with the Hull transfers situation.
0

blues1 added 14:34 - Jul 9 ITFC MONK. No, it won't. Anything within this transfer window is this years accounts. Last years accounts had to be submitted by March 1.
0

Doc_Albran added 14:34 - Jul 9 @Keanos_Barmy, not yet - we should be able to capitalize the costs over the duration of the contracts, so if all 4 are on 5 year contracts (think one might be reported as being 4) then the costs into 2024/25 year of accounts would be £15m (unless the capitalisation is weighted to the front of the contract - I don't know the exact rules) plus costs capitalised from prior years signings, plus wages. Take that off the £100m we are reported to have received this year as being part of the premier league we should still be sitting comfortably under it.

2

joyousblue added 14:36 - Jul 9 Keanoes barmy from what i make of it , you have to be 200 million in the debt in the same division for two consecutiv seasons , to face points reduction its why they could not deduct points from leicester in div one
1

d77sgw added 14:37 - Jul 9 Well the PSR limits are based on player spending - not just transfer fees, but wages and agents also. So KeanosBarmy has a point.
0

Bazza8564 added 14:44 - Jul 9 All this talk about PSR is confusing ,e especially when the rules relate to "PROFIT and sustainability". Please remember our SKY income alone for t.he forthcoming season is a minimum of £140m, we've spent 20m on Omari so far, 40 on the Hull lads and 15m on this lad, thats just over half, but we won't be paying it all up front so I don't get the concern. If ive learned anything over the last three years is NEVER EVER doubt that Mark Ashton knows exactly what he is doing!

5

Lightningboy added 14:58 - Jul 9 Have to say i'm liking the look of every one of these (potential) signings. Great business so far.
3

JackSwan added 14:59 - Jul 9 Sooo...2-3 Ipswich players in the England squad in the next couple of years?
4

dowsie3 added 15:04 - Jul 9 I’ve no worries about PSR I remember last season Ashton said the owners wanted to give KM more money to spend in January but Ashton said we can only spend so much because of PSR while Ashton is here we will have no worries about doing an Everton or Forest . My only worry is Ashton might be poached by one of the big 6
2

algarvefan added 15:08 - Jul 9 The business end is not yet complete on these deals, lets take a deep breath and hope they are all true, as mr. Ashton says when the deals done you'll be the first to know!!!
1

paul73 added 15:16 - Jul 9 All very good signings if they are completed . As for PSR, there is no way Ashton or the owners would pit us into that position. Surely the £105 investment earlier in the year is going towards these signings, meaning we haven't touched any of the money gained from Sky as yet ?
1

leagueonescum added 15:26 - Jul 9 Please let him have his dad's throw in gene.
2

Blogs 297 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls