Manchester United may have to win the Europa League to be successful in their pursuit of Ipswich striker Liam Delap.
Delap is high on United’s list of summer transfer targets after scoring 12 Premier League goals for the struggling Tractor Boys this season.
But with Chelsea also showing strong interest in activating Delap’s cut-price £40million release clause, sources close to the England Under-21 ace say his preference is to play European football.
United are languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and their only hope of qualifying for Europe is via the backdoor route into the Champions League.
United’s only route back to Europe’s top table is to lift the Europa League title.
Ruben Amorim’s men – the highest-ranked team left in the last-eight – travel to face Lyon in the first leg of their quarter-final on Thursday night.
Chelsea and United are by no means the only options for Delap – who has been urged on talkSPORT to snub a move to Old Trafford – with a host of other clubs in England and across Europe, including German pair Frankfurt and Leipzig, in the race.
Spurs eye raid on London rivals
Tottenham are preparing a summer swoop for Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell, talkSPORT understands.
Spurs are eyeing England international Mitchell as a replacement for Destiny Udogie, who has endured a poor season.
While some reports have claimed Mitchell is out of contract this summer, it is thought his deal actually expires in the summer of 2027.
That means Palace are in a strong position to demand a fee of around £50m for the 25-year-old north Londoner.
Mitchell has played 161 Premier League games for Palace.
West Ham look to plunder relegated side
West Ham are leading the race to sign England defender Kyle Walker-Peters.
Walker-Peters will depart Saints as a free agent this summer, sparking a mass exodus from the newly-relegated south coast outfit.
talkSPORT have been told the Hammers have already made ex-Spurs defender Walker-Peters a contract offer via his representatives in a bid to steal a march on other potential suitors.
While Graham Potter is happy with the form of first-choice right-back Aaron Wan Bissaka, he believes Walker-Peters can be a valuable addition due to his ability to play on both sides.
As previously reported by talkSPORT, West Ham also have an interest in Walker-Peters’ Saints teammates Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Aaron Ramsdale.
They are also among the clubs keen on teenage midfielder Tyler Dibling.
Impressive Cherries ace to Saudi?
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo is a target for Saudi Arabian Pro-League side Al-Nassr if they failed to land Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.
Semenyo is on a shortlist of three Premier League stars drawn up by the Riyadh-based side along with Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma and Kudus.
Mitoma has already made it clear he has no interest in a move to the Middle East after Al-Nassr made an offer worth in excess of £90m in January.
Kudus is a more attainable target with West Ham understood to be open to a mega-money transfer.
Ghanaian international Semenyo has played a major role in Bournemouth’s bid for a European place this season and the Cherries would be reluctant to lose him.
