Kieran McKenna will be glad that his Ipswich Town side aren’t currently occupying any of the bottom three spaces in the Premier League, despite falling to a shocking 4-1 victory to West Ham United last time out.
Thankfully, at this moment in time, there are three worse teams than the Tractor Boys, with Wolverhampton Wanderers rock bottom of the division having shipped a dreadful 21 strikes, whilst Southampton and Crystal Palace make up the other two lowly spots.
McKenna will be well aware that his team could slip into those murky waters soon if they’re not careful, but will be grateful for the fact that he has Liam Delap at his disposal to attempt to remain outside of those unwanted positions.
Delap's electric start at Ipswich
Delap did enter the building in Suffolk with a reputation for being a clinical finisher, having bagged a ridiculous 35 strikes from 36 games playing for his former employers Manchester City at U21 level.
But, it’s a different kettle of fish altogether replicating those heroics away from the comforts of youth pitches in the men’s game, yet the 21-year-old has managed to seamlessly fit in at Portman Road so far as an entertaining goal machine.
He has amassed a healthy goal return of four strikes from seven games to date, with his contributions crucial in Ipswich at least gaining some points next to their name early on in their new unforgiving league.
Ipswich still remain winless, but without Delap, they would be struggling a lot more with losses galore next to their name instead of some hard-fought draws.
His stunning brace against Aston Villa last month, for example, aided McKenna’s men in picking up a respectable 2-2 draw against Unai Emery’s men, who then faced off versus Bayern Munich in the Champions League a matter of days after this clash.
Labelled as an “incredible” talent by Pep Guardiola when still cutting his teeth at Man City, Ipswich look to have struck gold on Delap who is proving himself to be a top star like his former world class manager stated, more than justifying the £20m price tag above his head in the process.
Of course, the Tractor Boys’ predicament loitering near the foot of the top-flight pile does mean a team from higher up the division could take a fancy to the electric 21-year-old soon, as Ipswich prepare to bat away some notable suitors in January.
Delap's value in 2024
According to new reports, Delap is being looked at by a whole host of clubs higher up the Premier League standings including Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, with a bid in and around the mark of £34m perhaps enough for the Tractor Boys to consider parting ways.
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That would make the 6 foot 1 attacker the Suffolk club’s record departure which would represent some excellent business, considering he has only been on the books of the newly promoted club since the summer.
Player
Amount they left for
1. Tyrone Mings
£9.4m
2. Connor Wickham
£7.5m
3. Richard Wright
£7.5m
4. Kieron Dyer
£7.5m
5. Titus Bramble
£5.6m
Sourced by Transfermarkt
But, Delap moving on to the likes of Spurs or Enzo Maresca’s men would severely weaken McKenna’s charges in their short-term aspirations, especially if they are serious about their hopes of remaining in the promised land of the Premier League past this campaign.
Without the former Man City wonder-kid’s strikes in the league, Ipswich would only be on a paltry two goals, with Delap sticking it out for the entirety of the season more important arguably than them winning that touted £34m.
Ipswich could well look to cash in down the line, especially if they do end up falling back to the Championship, but it will be a huge priority this coming transfer window to keep a firm grip on the standout marksman.
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