Liam Delap sets deadline for summer transfer decision, Man Utd handed blow over his demands

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Liam Delap has rocketed into pole position in Manchester United’s search for a new number nine this season.

It is among the top priorities this summer to fix the faltering attack currently at the disposal of Ruben Amorim.

Despite sitting 14th in the Premier League, the football Amorim has his Manchester United team playing deserves much more, and since Amorim took charge, the club has underperformed both expected goals and points.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
12	Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace	34	11	12	11	43	47	-4	45
13	WolvesWolves	34	12	5	17	51	61	-10	41
14	Man UtdManchester United	34	10	9	15	39	47	-8	39
15	EvertonEverton	34	8	14	12	34	41	-7	38
16	TottenhamTottenham	34	11	4	19	62	56	6	37

United have an expected points tally of 47.26 (8.26 underperformance) and an expected goals tally of 50.16 (11.16 underperformance), which shows that scoring is the big problem, and if solved, United could have been right in the European football race.

Rasmus Hojlund has had a big hand in United’s goal-scoring problems with his struggles leading the line, which has seen just nine goals in 45 games this season and a failure to contribute much at all.

Due to this, Ineos have been looking for a replacement, and it is Liam Delap who is United’s top striker choice to come in and bolster the ranks up front.

Now, it has emerged what United will have to do to win this race.

• READ: Who is Man Utd target Liam Delap? Age, position, stats and comparisons with Didier Drogba

Liam Delap has European football demand for his summer transfer

Ipswich were relegated officially last weekend, and this meant Delap’s release clause dropped to £30m, and he has no doubt become even more tempting for the interested clubs.

For United, Delap would be an upgrade on Hojlund, and he offers more with and without the ball, which makes the deal a no-brainer. However, a move may not be as straightforward as it seemed.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, United face competition from Chelsea, Newcastle United, RB Leipzig, and Bayer Leverkusen to sign Delap.

In terms of making his choice, Delap is set to prioritise European football and will wait until the season ends before making his decision.

Following this, Delap is likely to make a decision very quickly as he intends to have everything wrapped up prior to heading to the U21 European Championships in June.

The transfer will be a ‘quick’ one, and United will know they must obtain European football to lure Delap. The situation is similar to Viktor Gyokeres, who waits to see if United will play in Europe.

• READ MORE: Who are INEOS? Exploring Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s billion-pound business

Manchester United must win the Europa League

This season may be a complete disaster, but all is not lost if United can beat Athletic Club over two games and then triumph in the final, which is in Bilbao.

Winning the Europa League would not save the season, as Bruno Fernandes admitted; however, it would hand the Red Devils a much-needed financial boost going into the summer.

Champions League qualification is worth around £95m, which would go a long way for United this summer and for Ineos in trying to fix the financial problems at the club.

United would be able to sign these higher-level strikers who may otherwise choose alternative destinations and clubs that are playing in Europe’s top competitions.

So if United and Amorim really want Delap, they have three games to make it possible.