I mean no offense to the lad but he is basically an English Rasmus. That's no disrespect to either because clearly they have talent and this isn't even directed towards them or their ability as a footballer.
This is actually targeted towards the club.
But before we get into any targeting let's just talk about this potential transfer.
News is is that both United and Chelsea are linked with the Ipswich forward and are rivalling each other for his signature. Two clubs in desperate need of a striker. Makes sense.
The Mail Sport are saying that the 22 year old "will have a release clause in the region of £40m if Ipswich get relegated" via Transfer News Live.
I think we can do away with the if as it's all but guaranteed that former MUFC first team coach Kieran McKenna and his side will go straight back down.
Delap has scored 11 goals for Ipswich so far which is more than Hojlund's 8. However, I just feel that the profiles of the players are very similar. Both are young, inexperienced, up-and-comers with loads of potential but as we've seen this season, experience with quality is required.
Having all of these youngsters is great but are we sure that they are definitely going to take us to where we want to be sooner rather than later? Amorim was talking in his presser yesterday ahead of the derby about how the club wants to win the league in 2028. Can we safely say that the likes of the Hojlunds, Delaps, Yoros, Heavens, Dorgus and all the other young talent we're linked with will get us to lifting our 14th PL in just over 3 years time?
That is my issue.
We have been bringing in a lot of good young talent that no doubt will be future ballers but future ballers is the thing. We are struggling with experience in that side and what experience we do have, is little and far between and nowhere near the quality they once were. Mazraoui and De Ligt are the only two who have been around and won things and are still performing. Bruno hasn't actually won things and United is the first truly massive club he's played for. Casemiro and Evans have of course ticked the 'won things' box but they are no longer the players they once were.
Evans has been out with what injury exactly? And Casemiro's form has fallen like a lead balloon over the past two season.
Both will probably be gone this time next season.
Young players can't learn from that.
Even though we don't create many chances for the striker (which will be a problem for any centre-forward let alone young ones), what the expereinced forwards will demand is respect and will make the opposition a bit more nervous.
Imagine Victor Osimhen starting up front for this team instead of Hojlund or Delap. The Nigerian has been around for a few years and has played in Italy and Turkey, won the Scudetto and has been one of the most prolific strikers in Europe since that 22/23 Serie A-title winning campaign. He has 28 goals and 5 assists in 32 matches for Galatasaray whom he's currently on loan with from Napoli until the end of the season, which is when his contract expires with the Italians making him a free agent 👀.
Not only will opposition defenders shake in their boots at this type of forward but he'll also not be afraid to let it be known to his teammates that they need to pass him the ball. I feel that a player like Garnacho perhaps doesn't fear or respect Hojlund enough to be playing him that pass. Osimhen might be.
The Gala striker is also 4 years older than both Hojlund and Delap which means he has that experience. I believe he is the type of forward we should be looking for. I also think he is the type of striker Amorim wants more than another promising talent.
Take Mazraoui and De Ligt as examples. Two players who've played for the biggest clubs, won major trophies, are at a great age (Mazraoui - 27, De Ligt - 25) and have that quality we need in this team. Is it a coincidence that they are two of our best players this season?
Get more guys like them or like Bruno as the manager said, and perhaps we may get closer to achieving that goal of winning the league by 2028.
£40m for Liam Delap after spending £70m on Rasmus in 2023 is a lot of money for two players that aren't actually ready yet (in my opinion) to take up that mantle of being the main striker for Manchester United. They will need time to develop and do we have that time? Does Amorim have that time? He's hinted on a couple of occasions that perhaps he doesn't should things continue to go as they are. I reckon he'd like players of more experience and quality to help keep him in a job. These young players won't fill him with confidence that he can turn this team around sooner rather than later. His job will be on the line.
I just feel that if we keep going for these type of players, we're just setting the manager up to fail. We are always banking on them being top players by the time they hit their mid-twenties which isn't something that we can say will definitely happen.
When youngsters came to the club in the past, they were also surrounded by several top class players who were seasoned veterans and could help guide the young ones on the field. How many times have we said that Hojlund could've used a Cavani as a mentor?
And if we do have a squad/team full of youngsters and don't get to where we want to be, will they want to stay at the club? They'll probably think that I'm good enough to go to another team that is actually winning things instead of being here and sort of wasting my time.
This will make us no different to Brighton. Sign young top talents, develop them, then sell them for a pretty price.
So this Delap deal and any other like it, is a no from me. No disrespect again, but he isn't someone that makes me gets on the edge of my seat nor makes me think that he will be the striker we need in a couple of years time especially if we still struggle to create chances for them.
Hell would he (or anyone like him) get us back into the top half?!
Good lord, we aren't even in the top half 😔.
Background Image: Liam Delap is a top transfer target of Manchester United | Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images via Chelsea News