Ipswich Town have confirmed the signing of striker Liam Delap from Manchester City.

The EADT and Ipswich Star understands the 21-year-old joins for an initial £15m, while add-ons could potentially take the deal to £20m.

Upon signing a five-year contract at Portman Road, he told the club website: “I’m really excited. I have heard so many good things about the feeling around the club, and how the players and staff work. 

“The manager here likes to play exciting football. It’s quick and intense and I am looking forward to that. I want to bring goals and assists and I’ll work as hard as I can to help the team.”

Blues boss Kieran McKenna said: "We are delighted to bring Liam to the club.

“We think he is a player with the qualities to help the team this season but also to be an important player for the club for many years to come. 

“He is a player with outstanding physical and technical attributes who has a hunger to come here and continue to learn and improve. He has gained good first-team experience from a young age and we feel he has the potential for development here.”

Delap is the Blues' fourth signing since promotion to the Premier League was secured. He follows attacker Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, £18m), right-back Ben Johnson (West Ham, free) and Jacob Greaves (Hull City, £15m) through the door.

Capped by England from U16 to U21 level, Delap progressed through the youth ranks at Derby County before being snapped up by Manchester City at the age of 16 for a £1m compensation fee.

Age 17, the powerful runner scored on his senior debut for City in an FA Cup tie against Bournemouth. A regular goalscorer for the U23s, Pep Guardiola subsequently handed him a taste of the Premier League and Champions League off the bench.

Delap has spent the last two campaigns developing on loan at Championship clubs - Stoke and Preston in 2022/23, then Hull City for the entirety of last season.

The son of Premier League icon Rory Delap, he's been described as having 'freak' speed and a 'humble' character. EADT and Ipswich Star subscribers can access a deep dive into his career to date here.

 

TOWN'S SUMMER BUSINESS

IN: Omari Hutchinson (Chelsea, £18m), Ben Johnson (West Ham, free), Jacob Greaves (Hull City, £15m), Liam Delap (Man City, £15m)

OUT: Gassan Ahadme (Charlton, £1m), Idris El Mizouni (Charlton, £400k), Sone Aluko (retired, now a coach), Kayden Jackson (Derby, free), Vaclav Hladky (rejected new deal), Janoi Donacien, Dominic Ball, Panutche Camara, Nick Hayes (all released)

 

SQUAD AS IT STANDS

GK: Walton, Slicker

RB: Johnson, Clarke

CB: Greaves, Woolfenden, Burgess, Edmundson, Tuanzebe, Ndaba, Baggott

LB: Davis

CM: Morsy, Luongo, Taylor, Humphreys*

RW: Hutchinson*, Burns

AMC: Chaplin

LW: Broadhead, Harness

ST: Hirst, Delap*, Al-Hamadi, Ladapo

* Won't count towards 25-man squad limit as were under 21 at the start of the year