Delap will be available for just £30M this summer due to a release clause which will activate when Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League is likely confirmed in the coming weeks. The 22-year-old has 12 goals and 2 assists in just 35 appearances and should be one of the biggest moves of the summer as interest continues to ramp up.
Chelsea are interested in Delap as the Blues stick to their transfer ambitions of building the brightest academy in world football, but accoriding to Mick Brown, a former chief scout at United, manager Ruben Amorim will have more pull this summer.
"Delap is on a lot of clubs' lists," Brown told Football Insider. "I'm not so sure he'll be convinced by the move to Chelsea.
"There's been a lot of talk about him at Man United, and if you're Delap you can look at that United team and feel confident you can make your mark there.”
Amorim is planning a major overhaul of his struggling squad this season with reports suggesting that more than 10 players will depart his side. Their top scorer is currently midfielder Bruno Fernandes with eight which simply is not sustainable and Brown thinks Delap believes he can fill the gaps under Amorim and provide some more heat in attack.
"The options they've got at the moment are not good enough, so Amorim can promise him he will get regular minutes as their starting striker. I don't think he can do the same at Chelsea, Newcastle or any of the other top sides.
"They've signed a lot of players who can't get in the team or haven't played enough – Delap doesn't want to become another one of those. He needs to go somewhere he's going to play, and he knows he's going to play at United."