Manchester City have a track record when it comes to signing players from fellow Premier League sides.
For example, out of the 25 players in their current senior squad, seven of them were signed from various clubs across England.
The previous summer transfer window saw Pep Guardiola’s side cash in on one of their strikers as the Blues picked up a club-record sale fee of £81m (via BBC Sport) to sell Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid.
This has left the Manchester club with Erling Haaland as the only predominant striker in the senior ranks.
Now, though, some interesting behind-the-scenes details have come to light regarding one current top-flight star – who the Blues know all about – and another transfer chase City could get involved in.
- Man City summer transfer window 2024: Confirmed signings, departures, loan exits and releases
How City could impact Liam Delap transfer chase
A recent report from The Athletic shared this on the subject in more detail.
It said: “Liam Delap only joined Ipswich Town from Manchester City in July, but he is already generating interest among bigger clubs over a potential move next summer.
“The 21-year-old has been tracked by many Premier League clubs for a considerable time and, having recorded six goals and an assist from 13 games this season, he is only rising in their estimations.
“Suitors across the division are watching Delap closely; some attended Ipswich’s draw against Manchester United on Sunday. If Delap continues to perform at or above recent levels, there is an expectation he will join one of the Premier League’s so-called ‘Big Six’.
“His admirers include Chelsea and Manchester United. However, City could technically scupper any move elsewhere. They put matching rights or buy-back clauses in most sales.
“Ipswich will want to keep hold of Delap but might struggle to do so, whether or not they stay in the top flight this season. However, that would have an impact on any potential fee for the striker.”
How has Delap fared since leaving City?
During the previous summer transfer window, City sold Delap to Ipswich in a deal worth a reported fee of £20m (via BBC Sport).
Since then, the striker has gone on to feature in all 12 of Ipswich’s Premier League games, scoring six goals along the way against the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Fulham and West Ham United.
In fact, the Englishman has a goal-per-shot average of 0.3, the joint-sixth-highest in the Premier League.
| Premier League 2024/25 | Appearances | Goals | Shots | Shots on Target |
| Liam Delap | 12 | 6 | 20 | 11 |
Recently, Ian Wright named Delap the best player in the Premier League right now, highlighting how well he’s done since making his City exit.
During his time at City, the centre-forward emerged from the club’s youth academy but only featured in six senior games for the Blues.
Even though it was recently reported that City aren’t looking to use their buy-back clause for Delap in the upcoming January transfer window, the summer window could be a different matter.
If they do end up feeling the need to bring the striker back to the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, their buy-back clause would certainly give them a huge advantage over their top-six rivals who may also be looking to sign the 21-year-old.
