Ipswich have signed attacker Liam Delap from Manchester City in a deal potentially up to £20 million.
Delap has signed to a five-year contract that will keep him at Portman Road through the summer of 2029.
The 21-year-old son of former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap is the newly promoted Premier League club’s fourth signing this summer.
Southampton also had an offer accepted for Delap, but he chose to join Kieran McKenna’s side in an initial £15 million deal that is expected to contain a further £5 million in potential add-ons.
“The management here prefers to play entertaining football. Delap told Ipswich’s website, “It’s quick and intense, and I am looking forward to it.”
“I want to bring goals and assists and I’ll work as hard as I can to help the team.”
Delap appeared twice for Manchester City in the Premier League and spent last season on loan with Hull in the Championship, scoring eight goals in 32 games.
He previously had loan periods at Stoke and has been capped by England Under-21s five times, scoring on his debut against Luxembourg in September.
Ipswich manager McKenna stated that Delap possesses the “qualities to help the team this season” and would 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,” according to McKenna.
“He has gained good first-team experience from a young age and we feel he has the potential for development here.”
Town close in on Muric
Ipswich are also in talks to sign Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who is scheduled to have a medical.
The clubs are said to have agreed on a £10 million fee plus up to £5 million in add-ons for the 25-year-old, who joined the Clarets from Manchester City in July 2022.
Muric began last season as Burnley’s first-choice goalkeeper, but lost it to James Trafford before regaining it after 14 appearances in all competitions.
Vaclav Hladky, a Czech goalkeeper, was Ipswich’s number one last season as the club achieved promotion back to the Premier League after a 22-year hiatus.
However, the 33-year-old opted to quit the Tractor Boys at the end of June, when his contract expired.
