Liam Delap offers Manchester United £40m transfer solution to Ruben Amorim's biggest problem

There are many reasons behind Manchester United's disastrous season which you could debate into the small hours of the night, but sometimes football really is as simple as putting the ball in the back of the net.

United have only managed that feat 37 times in the Premier League in 2024/25, outscoring just five other teams; three of whom are destined for relegation. After United's dour Manchester derby draw with City on Sunday, Bruno Fernandes said: "The killer instinct was missing but we created a lot of chances." He could have said that after most matches this season.

It should come as no surprise to see a striker top of Ruben Amorim's summer transfer wish list, and Liam Delap has been strongly linked with a potential £40million move from Ipswich Town. Delap has been a shining light for Ipswich despite their likely relegation, with 12 top-flight goals representing great business after a £20m switch from Man City last summer.

United have also been linked with Victor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike, though ESPN reports that Delap is now their No1 summer striker target. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see why former City chiefs Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox would be keen on a former City wonderkid at a reasonable price, but United also have to be realistic these days given their perilous finances.

The fact of the matter is that United can neither afford nor attract the world's best forwards any longer; Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitting as much when he suggested soon after Ineos' takeover that the club's transfer model needed be finding "the next Mbappe" rather than signing the actual one.

Now nobody is saying that Delap is the next Mbappe, but with a £40m relegation clause set to become active unless Ipswich pull off a great escape, the 22-year-old would represent sound business - particularly when it comes to pinpointing United's biggest problem.

xG, or expected goals, have caused a rift in the game; they are cherished and derided in equal measure, and as usual, the truth is somewhere in between. The Goals For column on the League table shows you that United do not put the ball in the net enough - but why?

Looking at Amorim's squad this season in terms of xG, just four players have scored more goals than expected given their chances this season - or their expected goals difference (xGDiff). As per WhoScored, Amad Diallo (2.13), Marcus Rashford (1.8), Lisandro Martinez (0.6) and Manuel Ugarte (0.25) are the only United players in the plus column; the irony of Rashford's presence despite being loaned out won't be lost on many United fans.

Amorim has time and again lamented the lack of killer instinct in his squad, and the stats prove it. This season, United's xGDiff (-10.81) is the fifth worst in the top flight. None of Amorim's available forwards have records to shout home about, with Joshua Zirkzee (-1.56) and Rasmus Hojlund (-0.5) disappointing, and Alejandro Garnacho (-3.78) dropping alarming stats in particular with 12 big misses alone this term.

Bruno Fernandes (-1.19) also comes up short for xGDiff, though he can also point to the fact that his creative work is not being rewarded either. As per Squawka, Fernandes has created the most chances (75) in the League this season, but only has nine assists to show for it.

In comparison, Mo Salah has created 73 chances and has 17 assists: go figure. Fernandes can't do it all himself, and needs his team-mates to start finishing.

If they can't then United will find somebody else to do it, and Delap is an intriguing proposition. The 22-year-old has missed the same number of big chances (10) as Bruno, but also has 12 League goals. Compared with Garnacho (4 goals vs 12 big misses), Zirkzee (3 goals vs 6 big misses) and Hojlund (3 goals vs 3 big misses) he looks ruthless.

A brief note on Hojlund here - the Dane would argue he can't miss a chance he doesn't get (Diogo Dalot, we're looking at you), but he could also be accused of not finding the right spaces. As for Hojlund's potential replacement, Delap has an xGDiff of +0.74, outperforming every United forward save for Rashford and Amad this term.

Add a dash of reality to this again - none of this is to suggest that signing Delap would be a magic bullet for United given the problems elsewhere in the squad. But Amorim's 3-4-2-1 model relies on a forward who can lead the line and put the ball in the net, and Delap's stats back up why he is in the running.

Amorim would clearly love to be reunited with Gyokeres, and his xGDiff (4.1) is the stuff dreams are made of for a coach with 30 goals off 25.9xG for Sporting this term. However, he is almost certainly out of United's price range and more likely to end up at Arsenal this summer.

For a PSR-conscious United, Delap would certainly be a step in the right direction: he is the right price, has a high ceiling, is Premier League proven and provides what Amorim's current options cannot or will not offer this season.

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.