Manchester United can have dodged a bullet within the transfer market as Roy Keane says their former goal Liam Delap shouldn’t be only fighting confidence at Chelsea but in addition ‘lacks real quality’.
United were keen to sign England U21 striker Delap following his promising season for relegated Ipswich Town.
Delap, who got here through Manchester City’s academy, impressed in an Ipswich team that won just 4 games all season, scoring 12 goals within the Premier League.
The 23-year-old’s impressive form and the emergence of a £30m release clause led to Delap being linked with a variety of top clubs ahead of the summer transfer window.
Manchester United were out there for a brand new striker and were confident of bringing Delap to Old Trafford before Chelsea won the transfer race and secured his signature.
The £30m signing was seen as an actual coup but Delap has endured a difficult first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring only once within the Premier League.
Asked whether Delap has been a ‘hit or a miss’ at Chelsea, former United captain Keane said on the Keep on with Football podcast: ‘In the intervening time he’s obviously lacking confidence, and he lacks real quality doesn’t he?
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‘Being a handful up front isn’t enough. But he’s only a young kid, you’ve got to provide him the advantage of the doubt. I’m not writing him off but he’s been a miss up to now.’
Keane’s ex-teammate Gary Neville added: ‘I feel all of us said initially of the season that we wasn’t sure how he would do at Chelsea.
‘He’s got one goal in 17 league appearances, he was obviously injured for a period.
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‘When he [Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior] put him at right-wing against Arsenal, that was never going to work, you’re never going to attain while he’s there. I assume that was to make it harder for Arsenal and it worked for a period.
‘There was one game, I can’t remember which one, but he got here on and he looked an actual handful.’
Ex-Chelsea defender Jason Cundy believes Stamford Bridge bosses may opt to send Delap out on loan next season, insisting he needs regular game-time to develop.
‘My guess could be that perhaps Liam Delap goes on loan, that is perhaps an option,’ said Cundy, who made 41 appearances for Chelsea.
‘He feels a bit raw, he’s only had one season within the Premier League. Perhaps he must go and play every week.’
Delap got here on as a late substitute in Chelsea’s disappointing 2-2 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday night.
The previous Man City player will expect to get more minutes in Chelsea’s FA Cup clash with Rosenior’s former club Hull City on Friday night.
After missing out on Delap and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres, Manchester United signed Benjamin Sesko in a £74m deal from RB Leipzig.
The Slovenia international endured an underwhelming begin to his United profession, scoring just twice within the first-half of the season, but has netted five goals in six games since Ruben Amorim’s sacking.
Sesko’s latest goal was an excellent injury-time equaliser in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with West Ham, a result which prolonged United’s unbeaten record under caretaker boss Michael Carrick.
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