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Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap’s emergence may be a recent revelation for some, but Alex Neil knew all along that he would reach the top despite a difficult spell at Stoke City.
Following Ipswich Town’s relegation to the Championship, they will be hoping to record an immediate return to the Premier League under Kieran McKenna.
Whilst McKenna will be keen to keep as many players at Portman Road as possible to give his side the best chance of promotion next season, Liam Delap will inevitably move on from Ipswich Town.
In the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Delap showed immense quality in front of goal, building on his previous season where he was on loan at Hull City.
His emergence may have come as a surprise to many, considering the difficulties he faced in his spells at Stoke City and Preston North End, but one man who could see it coming is Alex Neil, who knew he had something special about him.
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Alex Neil knew that Liam Delap would reach his potential despite his difficult Stoke City spell
In his first taste of regular senior football, Man City decided to send Delap on loan to Stoke City in the 2022/23 season. Unfortunately for Delap, he struggled to hit the ground running, scoring just three league goals in 22 games. This was followed up by half a season at Preston North End, where he scored just one goal in 15 Championship games.
It seemed as though Delap was struggling with the Championship, but Alex Neil knew all along that he was always set to turn his career around.
After his exit during the 2022/23 season, per The Lep, Neil said: “Liam is a young lad, he’s 19, he’s played 23 times for us. We’ve only had 26 games. He’s had a lot of minutes, and I’m pretty sure that he’ll go on and he’ll become a really good player.
“It’s his first loan. We wish him well. We exchanged texts yesterday. I’m sure he’ll do well wherever he goes.”
Delap was written off by many when he left Preston North End, suggesting that his four goals in 37 games across both loan spells showed that he was nowhere near the level.
The options that Kieran McKenna has to replace Liam Delap
Delap has turned into a proven Premier League talent, and there is no doubt that he will seal a move elsewhere before a ball is kicked in the 2025/26 Championship campaign.
Fortunately, Ipswich will delve into the transfer market to find his successor. Ipswich have been linked to Emmanuel Latte Lath, a former Middlesbrough striker who has previously shone at Championship level.
Latte Lath notched 27 Championship goals in 59 games before a big-money move to Atalanta United in the USA, but he could potentially return to England ahead of next season.
Another option for McKenna is Man City striker Divin Mubama, who Ipswich may have to fight Middlesbrough for.
The City striker scored 10 goals in nine Premier League 2 games, and even bagged a goal in the FA Cup against Salford City.
McKenna is targeting a guaranteed goalscoring return from whoever Delap’s successor will be, which will help them prepare as best as possible for next season.