Right now it would be quicker to list the teams who are not interested in Liam Delap.
In a season of struggle at Ipswich Town, the 22-year-old has been one of few players in a blue shirt who has stood out in the strongest league of European football. Crucially, his attributes are in demand this summer, with a long line of clubs forming a queue for Delap’s services.
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A relegation release clause — reported to be around £30million — means that Delap is available at a very affordable price, with The Athletic reporting that Chelsea and Manchester United are among the Premier League clubs considering a move for him.
Having scored 34 per cent of Ipswich’s league goals — the fourth-highest share of any player — Delap has often been tasked with generating his own chances with limited service from his team-mates.
In a counter-attacking Ipswich side, Delap’s powerful, driving runs forward have been a theme of his season as he has shouldered much of the attacking responsibility with a return of 10 non-penalty goals — at a rate of one in three — for his efforts.
Whether it is thumping finishes from range or delicate flicks at the near post, Delap is in a rush to get on the scoresheet.
A desire to get forward is the bare minimum for a striker, but Delap is something of a throwback — an out-and-out striker who is desperate to stretch the opposition back line.
Delap has impressed in a struggling Ipswich side this season (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
This is highlighted in Delap’s SkillCorner profile below, denoting his off-ball run types as a share of his total runs made. Runs ahead of the ball or in-behind opposition defences take up a healthy amount of Delap’s running real estate, with a large share of cross receiver runs (runs towards goal to receive a possible cross) showing a player who thrives at the sharp end of his side’s attack.
Sadly, there is only one Liam Delap to go around, so plenty of clubs are going to be disappointed this summer. For those forced to look elsewhere, allow The Athletic to throw some alternative names at you — in a manner that a certain member of the Delap family would be proud of.
Using SkillCorner’s data, we can narrow down some centre-forwards who are capable — and more importantly, constantly willing — to make those explosive, bustling runs towards the opposition goal.
The scatter chart below has been filtered for centre-forwards under the age of 25 across Europe’s top seven leagues.
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First, we can use a bespoke SkillCorner metric known as Peak Sprint Velocity 99th percentile (PSV-99), that reflects the top speed of a player and their ability to reach it multiple times or sustain it for long enough.
Secondly, we can combine Delap’s favourite runs as outlined above — those in-behind the defence, ahead of the ball, and to get on the end of crosses — as a percentage of each player’s total runs.
Put the two together, and some familiar names stand out.
It should be no surprise to see Erling Haaland direct such a high proportion of his runs towards goal, while Nicolas Jackson and Rasmus Hojlund — though much less prolific than the Norwegian — are notably quick and direct when it comes to their off-ball movement.
Samu Aghehowa is as destructive as it gets with his blistering pace and muscular frame, but would not come cheap, with a €100m release clause inserted into his contract at Porto.
Equipped with this extra information, along with a few eye-test favourites from The Athletic’s data department, here are five players to consider.
Emanuel Emegha
Standing at 6ft 5in (195cm), and Europe’s fastest centre-forward per SkillCorner’s PSV-99 metric, Emegha instantly fits the physical, line-leading mould.
The 22-year-old is another forward bought and sold by Austrian side Sturm Graz, along with Hojlund and Monaco’s man-of-the-moment Mika Biereth, a sure-fire seal of approval regarding his athletic, goal-poacher profile.
(Elsa Rancel/AFP via Getty Images)
At the top of an exciting Strasbourg side, Emegha is often the man to stretch in behind and keep opposition centre-backs on their toes. His opening goal away at Marseille back in January was almost comical as he recalibrated his run three times to get in behind a slack defensive line.
Andrey Santos + Emanuel Emegha = FOOTBALL IQ 🧠🇧🇷🇳🇱 pic.twitter.com/QSnGaCtZlV
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) January 19, 2025
Emegha is less emphatic than Delap — more about bundling home from close-range and finishing his chances with finesse — but his shot map below illustrates just how much danger the Dutchman’s darting runs can generate, with almost 97 per cent of his league shots this season falling inside the penalty area. Only four Ligue 1 players have scored more than his 14 goals.
His expected goal (xG) value per shot of 0.28 is also the highest of any player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, pointing to a striker who consistently gets himself into threatening positions, even if his finishing can sometimes leave a little to be desired.
Despite his more slender frame, Emegha can still hold his own and create something from nothing with combative channel runs. Here against Saint-Etienne, for example, he drifts out to the flank to take in a bouncing ball out of defence in frame one.
Shielding the ball from defender Mickael Nade, he manages to squirm away from the challenge, sending the defender to the floor with a healthy shoulder barge, before picking out Diego Moreira on the edge of the box to score.
On occasion Emegha’s height can work against him — he can sometimes look clumsy in front of goal while he sorts out his feet — but his speed, strength, and magnetism to high-value shooting opportunities makes him an intriguing profile who will continue to cause damage as he sharpens his striking instincts.
Thierno Barry
Villarreal’s Thierno Barry is similarly tall and quick, but that bit more relentless in his running. Only one player across Europe’s top seven leagues — Benfica’s Vangelis Pavlidis — has made more runs in behind per 30 minutes of team possession this season, illustrating Barry’s eagerness to attack whenever his team has the ball.
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Barry is better in the air too — only two La Liga forwards have taken more headed shots than him since he joined from Swiss side FC Basel last summer — but there is an element of chaos to the 22-year-old’s all-action game. He often opts for power over accuracy in front of goal, even taking to social media to apologise to playmaker Alex Baena after a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid for not converting all of the chances he slid his way.
(Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP via Getty Images)
When he gets it right, however, Barry is difficult to stop. This thumping volley away at Getafe highlights his ability to hold up the ball, as he scraps with full-back Juan Iglesias and barges past two more in midfield before instantly looking to stretch the defensive line. He gets on the end of Ayoze Perez’s chipped pass and smashes home first time.
Por la jugada. Por la asistencia. Por el remate. Lo de @Barry29Thierno es un golazo 😮💨#GetafeVillarreal | #LaLigaHighlights pic.twitter.com/tlLoHD8sPM
— Villarreal CF (@VillarrealCF) April 1, 2025
Barry’s tally of 11 goals in his first La Liga season is strong, the quantity and the variety of chances falling his way a direct result of his head-on approach. He took 10 shots against Real Sociedad a fortnight ago, leading counter-attacks by himself, moving quickly in congested penalty areas, and running at players and cutting in from wide.
Like Emegha, and Delap himself, the raw materials are certainly there for a team looking to take the chance.
Santiago Castro
Barely out of his teenage years, Castro has led Bologna’s attack this season as they push for a Champions League spot for the second consecutive season.
A return of eight Serie A goals might sound modest, but only Saint-Etienne’s Lucas Stassin has scored more goals in Europe’s top five leagues among players aged 20 or younger this season. In what has been a breakout campaign, Castro has filled the boots of Joshua Zirkzee in a Bologna shirt after arriving from his native Argentina in the summer of 2023.
A glance at Castro’s shotmap depicts a penalty-box striker who snuffs out opportunities close to goal — with a healthy smattering of first-time finishes as he arrives at the right place at the right time. He might not look tall, but at 6ft with a strong leap and brave disposition, Castro’s aerial ability means he has provided plenty of finishes with his head.
However, don’t be fooled into thinking his game is limited to that of a poacher. Castro is adept at dropping in between opposition lines, before turning and firing from distance. Strikes against Monza and Atalanta in the early weeks of the season are similar to some of the thumping finishes that Delap has shown in the Premier League.
Given his country of origin, comparisons with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez are not unfounded — with Castro’s ability to come short or run in behind and stretch opposition defences. He might be raw at times, but an early purchase might save clubs millions if he comes close to fulfilling his potential.
Jonathan David
It feels like David has been linked with a move away from Lille in every transfer window since he joined the club in 2020.
Somehow, the Canadian international is still only 25 years old, but here is the kicker: his situation is particularly interesting this summer, given that he will be a free agent by the start of July as things stand. While a substantial signing-on fee would be required, any interested clubs should be on high alert for his services as he enters the peak years of his career.
What stands out most about David is his unpredictability as he can shoot with either foot. Trying to pin him to one side in particular is a fruitless task for opposition defenders — helping him to pull the trigger no matter the situation.
This is underpinned by his shotmap since 2022-23, with nearly a third of his efforts coming with his ‘weaker’ left foot. Add in his aerial ability and this is a well-rounded striker to match anyone in Europe across recent seasons.
“If you want to be a top striker, you have to be able to shoot and be very good with both feet so players can’t anticipate what foot you’re going to use,” David told Canadian media in 2023. “So that’s why I’ve worked on both feet. I’d say my left foot is pretty good but I think I can still get better.”
An average league goalscoring rate of 0.59 per 90 minutes across his five seasons at Lille in the French top flight suggests that David is definitely doing a lot right at the sharp end of the pitch.
Ange-Yoan Bonny
Parma’s Bonny has six Serie A goals this season — two of them penalties. Not exactly world-beating numbers. But look closer, and there are signs he could handle a step up.
Bonny arrived at Parma in 2021 from French third-tier side Chateauroux — the same club where Jean-Philippe Mateta got his start. He settled quickly in northern Italy, racking up over 100 appearances and scoring the promotion-clinching goal in a 1-1 draw with Bari last season.
(Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Parma average just 44 per cent possession — the fourth-lowest in Serie A — and, like Delap at Ipswich, that limits Bonny’s touches in the opposition box. Dropping deep to offer an out ball and link play isn’t optional in a side fighting for survival.
As a result, Bonny — playing in the Italian city known for its ham — has to carve out chances himself, often from tricky starting positions. Take his last goal against Monza: he picks up the ball in the left channel near halfway, accelerates past two onrushing defenders, cuts inside, shapes his body, and buries a shot into the top-right corner.
Like Delap, Bonny’s physical attributes belie his age, helping him turn these low-percentage moments into real opportunities.
His assist against Fiorentina on the opening day of the season showcased his imposing strength. Competing for a long ball, Bonny eased past Lucas Martinez Quarta, before rolling the ball across the box for Dennis Man to finish.
But Bonny fuses strength with guile. Sharp touches, quick passes, and darting dribbles all feature in his build-up play.
His flicked backheel assist against Lecce last season showed a flash of invention and an intuitive sense of where team-mates would be.
Serie A strikers with bags of potential but patchy goal records are risky buys. Just ask Manchester United — their £70m punt on Hojlund is yet to bear fruit. But for clubs hunting the next big thing without breaking the bank, Bonny may just be your man.
(Header photos: Getty Images)
