Manchester City will keep 18-year-old youth striker Liam Delap at the club for the remainder of the season despite the youngster not playing a single minute of senior football.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the teenage attacker will stay put at City to work on his fitness. Delap has played just four academy games this season with the striker finally returning to full training last week.
The youngster is regarded as one of City’s most exciting youth prospects to emerge from the academy, with Pep Guardiola even labelling Delap as an ‘important’ player for the club’s future.
Delap was in incredible form last campaign, with the forward scoring on his City debut in the League Cup as well as bagging a record 24 goals in Premier League 2 as the Manchester side won the title.
Indeed, after a record-breaking year, many City fans predicted Delap to head out on loan for the season. However, fitness issues have been a problem for the youngster, who has missed most of the year due to injury.
With the striker playing just four games this season at youth level, it makes sense why the club have decided to keep Delap at the club despite loan interest from other teams around England and Europe.
City need to work on Delap’s fitness ahead of summer loan
Delap was extraordinary in City’s U-23 title-winning season, with the striker a fiend in front of goal. Yet injuries have halted what looked like a promising campaign for the youngster, and the club need to ensure the attacker is back to his best for the summer.
After all, the youngster looks ready for first-team football. And with Delap now back in City training, the teenager will likely motivate himself to stay fully fit and secure a senior loan move in the summer transfer window.
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