Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna says he doesn't know if Manchester City have the option to buy back in-form striker Liam Delap.

The powerful England U21 striker has scored six goals in 12 Premier League appearances since joining the Blues in a £15m deal back in the summer.

Asked about reports that City inserted a buy-back option in that transfer, McKenna said: "It's not anything I'm aware of or interested in to be honest. I think that's a question for other people and for (chairman) Mark Ashton.

"My full focus is on this season and, with regards to Liam, trying to help him to continue to improve. I know Liam's full focus is here and trying to help the team.

"He's had a good start to the season, but we have to remember that's it's very early stages for him. This is really his first season starting regularly as a number nine. He played off the side a lot of times last year at Hull, played as a wide striker in some earlier Championship loan moves. So this is his first season doing it week-in, week-out, maybe doing it two times a week, and he's doing it at Premier League level.

"It's positive that he's doing well, but it's really early days. His focus, my focus, our focus is to keep trying to improve."

Asked what sort of fee Delap would command now, following his superb start to the season, the Blues boss replied: "I don't think too much about the value. I don't worry. As long as we've done the right thing for the club. People can look at transfer fees, but what we've paid for a Liam Delap (£15m), an Omari Hutchinson (£18m), a Jacob Greaves (£15m) or a Leif Davis (£1.2m) - I feel they are good investments for the football club.

"What Liam's market value is now... yeah, there aren't too many strikers of that type of football in world football. That's the honest truth. But that's not a concern of mine. All I'm thinking about is trying to push him and help him get better all the time."

SIGN UP! To access ALL our Ipswich Town content, subscribe now for the special price of £6 for six months or £25 to the end of 2025

On what Delap can do to improve further, McKenna said: "For any young player who is hitting a good level, consistency is a big one. He has to keep going, he has to be consistent, he has to stay grounded, he has to keep doing the things that have brought him success until this point - both in his career and, more specifically, in this season. It's about doing it over a period of months, then for a season, then a period of season. That's the hallmark of the top forwards - they are so consistent over longer periods of time.

"He's already making big strides in his game. From the player that arrived here I think he's already a different animal off the ball now in his work. I think his understanding of how he can influence the game both in terms of dropping and linking, but also movement to stretch in behind and in the channels, has improved. I still think his penalty box movement can improve. It's been good to see him score one or two goals like that, the Brentford goal where he's made the sharp movement across the defender was a really good one, but he can still improve in those situations.

"He has got that profile of an all-round striker, which isn't easy to find. He's got that physical size, can run behind, can drop and link, and is now showing he can work well off the ball and do the other sides of the game as well. When you've got that profile you want them to keep improving in every area. Of course scoring goals is the most valuable thing in football, but if Liam can keep developing all aspects of his game then he's a really, really rare player."

Pundit Danny Murphy declared, after last Sunday's 1-1 home draw with Manchester United, that Delap was the natural successor to England's all-time leading goalscorer Harry Kane.

"I can't imagine, knowing Liam, that he's hanging on the words of any pundits or anyone to be honest!" said McKenna.

"People are very quick, not in this instance, but in general we can build young players up really, really quickly and we can put them back down or forget about them really quickly as well. 

"He's coming from good stock, from a football family (father Rory had a lengthy career in the Premier League), so I'm sure he gets that advice from there. It's about keeping your feet on the floor, not listening too much to outside noise and listening to the people close to you whose opinion you really value. I know that's what he's been doing."