West Bromwich Albion have informed Manchester City of their desire to sign Liam Delap on loan, with TEAMtalk reporting that the striker is also a target for former employers Derby County.
If Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus cannot secure a regular place in the City starting XI, what chance does this talented teenager have?
Speaking in April, Pep Guardiola spoke in glowing terms about 18-year-old Delap, insisting that the England youth star would be training with his first-team squad ‘every day’ next season.
So Manchester City have a decision to make; do they take the Phil Foden route with Delap? Or do they entrust his development to a Championship club in need of a new number nine?
TEAMtalk reports that a West Brom side now preparing for life back in the second tier have already made their interest in Delap known.
Stoke City and Middlesbrough are also keen, as are a Derby side who lost Delap to the Premier League leaders two years ago.
The Wincester-born target man spent ten years at Pride Park, with his superb goal-scoring rate encouraging City to invest £1 million in the youngster.
In all competitions, Delap has scored 26 goals this season, marking his senior debut with a well-taken strike against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup.
“He’s a different striker to what we have in terms of physicality,” Guardiola said in September, via TEAMtalk. “We see in training how good a finisher he is.
“Now he has to be calm and keep working. We are delighted with his performance – he played really well.”
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