Ruben Amorim is plotting a summer overhaul of his struggling Manchester United squad but the club will need to sell before they can buy amid their difficult financial position
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is planning to use the money from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford‘s sales to bolster his search for a new striker amid reports the club are plotting a move for Ipswich star Liam Delap. United are said to be one many top clubs monitoring Delap after his superb season for the Tractor Boys.
Delap has ten Premier League goals under Kieran McKenna so far in this campaign, leading to speculation there could be a tug-of-war for the 22-year-old. He is said to have a £40million release clause and will be seen as a more affordable option that many of their other targets this summer, which includes Red Bull Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike and Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.
United are desperate for more firepower up front after watching Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee fail to sparkle this season and Amorim knows he needs better quality if he is to revive the club’s fortunes.
But United’s financial struggles have been laid bare this year after footballing chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe was forced to cut 200 jobs, in addition to hiking up ticket prices, removing concessions and getting rid of free lunches in their canteen.
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The club’s position, in addition to PSR rules, means they will have to sell before they can buy and the Daily Mail have claimed Amorim is hoping to use Rashford and Sancho’s sales to fund his transfer kitty this summer.
Rashford is currently on loan at Aston Villa but has been impressing with two goals and four assists, which will please the Portuguese boss – knowing it should help put him in the window and secure an exit. Villa have an option to buy Rashford for £40m.
Sancho – who is on loan at Chelsea – is struggling to dazzle at Stamford Bridge after failing to score or assist since the beginning of January, a run stretching back 13 games.
However, United are guaranteed to profit from his situation after negotiating a £25m obligation to buy into his Chelsea loan deal. With the England international now underperforming, the Blues would still have to pay a large portion of that fee if they wanted to back out of the move.
The report from the Mail highlights Delap as one of the club’s “priorities” in the transfer window this summer, with internal discussions underway about signing him.
It goes on to say that they will face competition from Chelsea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester City in the race for his signature.
Clubs interested in Delap were recently given a boost in their bids to sign him after Ipswich chairman Mark Ashton hinted the club would be open to selling him. He said: “Obviously there is always a natural point in time when a player has to move. That’s the cycle of life, it’s the cycle of football. But we are very, very, very well protected with all of that.”
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