Man City accept two £20m offers for striker - report

Manchester City have accepted two offers from Premier League clubs for home-grown striker Liam Delap, who famously scored on his senior debut as a 17-year-old.

Delap, son of former Premier League long-throw expert Rory Delap, was polished by the City academy after previously spending a decade at Derby County.

Since making a handful of first-team appearances between 2020 and 2022, the 21-year-old has spent time on loan at Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City in the Championship. Now, he looks set for a permanent transfer at top flight level.

The Athletic has reported that newly promoted Ipswich Town's £20m package – £15m guaranteed plus £5m in add-ons – has been accepted by the Premier League champions. Southampton are believed to have offered similar terms that were also agreed to by City decision makers.

However, Delap's preference is named as Ipswich, where manager Kieran McKenna has had a transformative impact since taking over the club in League One in at the end of 2021.

Delap scored eight times in 31 Championship outings for Hull last season and represents a statement of ambition for an Ipswich as they return to the Premier League for the first time in 22 years.

The Suffolk club have already spent big on Omari Hutchinson from Chelsea, up to £22.5m, while ex-West Ham United defender Ben Johnson has been recruited on a free transfer.

For Manchester City, selling Delap for a sizeable transfer fee makes sound business sense when the path to a regular first-team is almost completely blocked given the level of competition for places.

Substantial cash, which will boost the accounts come the end of the season, has already come in from similarly selling home-grown defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis to Southampton for £20m. Midfielder Tommy Doyle has also joined Wolves on a permanent deal for a little over £4m.

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