Liam Delap

No idea if we’ll go back for Delap, but we go into next season knowing that Haaland will almost certainly have a spell out injured and that Marmoush could be away for a large chunk of December/January. If those things are concurrent and we have nobody else to cover, then it would yet again be very poor planning on our part. Bit of competition for Haaland wouldn’t go amiss either.
 
No idea if we’ll go back for Delap, but we go into next season knowing that Haaland will almost certainly have a spell out injured and that Marmoush could be away for a large chunk of December/January. If those things are concurrent and we have nobody else to cover, then it would yet again be very poor planning on our part. Bit of competition for Haaland wouldn’t go amiss either.
I can’t see us buying someone just to cover Afcon (this is the last mid season one) we will have multiple options that can play false 9 and a couple of kids that will sit on the bench but not play.
 
I could see us paying the £30m buyback, keeping him for one season with a release clause/gentleman's agreement to let him go in 2026 for a reasonable fee (£50m). We get cover for Haaland (injuries) and Marmoush (AFCON), as well as a decent profit. He gets another year of development in a familiar environment, without the pressure of going straight to a top side and being expected to lead the line.
 
I can’t see us buying someone just to cover Afcon (this is the last mid season one) we will have multiple options that can play false 9 and a couple of kids that will sit on the bench but not play.
As I said, I don’t think it should be seen as purely cover. The ‘sit on the bench’ argument was often used as reason for not signing a Rodri deputy, an argument that fell to pieces this season. If Haaland suffers a similar season-wrecking injury in September, which is not unthinkable given the amount he’s been asked to play, we’d have to revert to one style of play and still know Marmoush will depart. The multiple options that were to cover Rodri have all faltered and the same could be true for those tasked with replacing Haaland. For me, we need someone who can push Haaland but who can also lead the line in his absence. Whether we have learned from our planning mistakes, however, will soon become apparent.

As far as I’m aware, AFCON moves to the summer of 2027 but is then scheduled to revert to December/January for its 2029 iteration.
 
Everyone here acting like Delap will be useless unless Haaland gets hurt. This is not the case. Delap has been nothing short of a superstar this season. I have seen reports that indicate the likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and United are keen on his signature. Plenty of teams deploy a 2 striker system to breakdown certain opposition. And if we don't begin matches with it, it would certainly be nice to have the ability to bring this lad on when we need a goal.

I'm a bit surprised that the links don't seem to be in our direction wherein we have the discount.
can we flip him this summer window, so buy back for £30m and sell for £50m?
I'm not sure what the rules on this are? Can someone comment? He could fetch 75m in the open market easily.

I've been saying that Delap is a star in the making and that we should have kept (or loaned with recall ability) him with our lack of attacking depth. A terrorizing striker profile that only needed a couple things to go his way to find his footing among the worlds best strikers. The clear heir to Harry Kane's thrown as England's #9.

Here's some comments from last summer, and they still ring true. First one was regarding signing Califiori by giving them Delap (with a buy back/sell on). Second one is people laughing at the idea that Delap was premier league ready. Third one pretty self-explanatory.

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Would love to see this lad back in the squad. What a season he's having. Eye test and statistically class. Good for him.
 

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Fabrizio reckons between United and chelsea
That’s great new
We should be looking at top level and delap is a back up or mid table team level for me.
United and Chelsea keep looking for a bargain and that’s why they won’t be up there next year
Arsenal and Liverpool are the teams we need to beat and those two ain’t going near him
 
Fabrizio reckons between United and chelsea
That’s great new
We should be looking at top level and delap is a back up or mid table team level for me.
United and Chelsea keep looking for a bargain and that’s why they won’t be up there next year
Arsenal and Liverpool are the teams we need to beat and those two ain’t going near him
Who’s a top level striker that would be willing to be Haalands back up?

I’d argue a lot of our best signings arent proven world class players either

Delap would be an excellent signing
 
I'd like us to sign him as hell be a decent back up to Haaland. If it doesn't woek out for him here then sell him on for a profit.
That would be great, but just dont see him agreeing to that after his break out season. Deserves to play, wish it wasn't the Rags if that's what happens, but he ain't going nowhere to be a back up imo...
 
United Favourites to sign him apparently, turned down Chelsea...
Them lot never learn do they, delap looks the part, but scratch beneath the surface and he really isn't all that which I'm sure our lads know, hence us not being interested.
He scored 12 in 36 league and cup games whilst being the focal point of the team and got booked 12 times as well which shows the petulance he had when playing in our youth sides has gone nowhere.
Yep he looks the part running around and tangling with centre halves but does not much else
 

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