Arsenal are preparing for one of their biggest summer transfer windows yet as the club looks to bolster their ranks and give Mikel Arteta exactly what he needs to get them winning trophies.
The Gunners have some plans in place as Andrea Berta, the new sporting director, is aiming to make some big acquisitions.
Arsenal fans are expecting a striker as the top priority, with the lack of a clinical option up top proving costly at times this season.
Plenty of different options have been linked with the club, with Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko appearing as two frontrunners among a whole host of players.
However, there could be a move in the Premier League that opens up for a youngster who has been catching the eye.
Liam Delap prefers Arsenal or Chelsea over Man United transfer
Arsenal have been linked with a transfer for Liam Delap, with the Ipswich Town striker enjoying a breakthrough season.
The forward joined the Tractor Boys in the summer from Manchester City, taking the step up to the Premier League for the first time.
Hitting double figures for goals, the 22-year-old has taken top-flight football in his stride, even with Ipswich on the verge of relegation.
Upon that fall back into the second tier, Delap has a £30million release clause that can be triggered in the summer.
That has seen many teams interested in a possible deal, from Arsenal to rivals Manchester United and Chelsea.
However, according to the Daily Star, it’s claimed that Delap is having “doubts” over the Red Devils and is ready to “snub” them.
Instead, the report claims that Arsenal or Chelsea are the preferred option for the forward as he looks towards his next steps.
How good is Liam Delap?
Following a breakout campaign in the Premier League, one of the questions that has arisen surrounds just how good Liam Delap is.
The striker has only done it for one season, but his goals in a struggling Ipswich side have given them hope of survival through the season.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | 12 | 2 |
Delap came in for plenty of praise from his manager Kieran McKenna when he told TNT Sports: “He has definitely evolved his game and he is still growing, so his body has developed over the last 12 months and that has changed the focus a bit in terms of what he is capable of doing and how he can hurt the opposition.
“From a mental point of view, I’ve been really pleased with how he takes on information, because he is quite a fun-loving lad. He is pretty light-hearted most of the time, and you get those reports before you sign him.
“But I have to say, from the first time you sit down and go through videos with him and talk to him about the game, go through details and tactical things, he is incredibly receptive and very football smart.
“He takes on information well and can apply things well, so I think that has been a pleasant surprise how high his learning capacity is and how he can take on information and implement things and how open he is to discussing his game and improving. So I think they are pretty good ingredients for a young player.”
The 22-year-old has certainly proven he can do it in the Premier League and has plenty of potential for the future, but it remains to be seen if that’s enough for the Gunners to seal the deal.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
