Ipswich put Man Utd on transfer alert as Liam Delap allowed to leave this summer

Ipswich have given striker Liam Delap permission to explore his options for next season, Town boss Kieran McKenna has confirmed.

The 22-year-old, who joined Ipswich from last summer, is expected to leave the Suffolk club .

, and have all been linked with a big-money move for the England Under-21 international, who is said to have a £30million relegation release clause in his contract.

“Liam’s looking at his options for next year, which I think he is entitled to do and we support him with that,” McKenna said at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s final match against . “I think we have given him permission to do that this week. It’s a very important decision for his future.

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“Of course there is a lot of interest – and rightly so. I think part of his week has been having some of those conversations.

“It looks more likely than not that he will move on this summer and he has interest from pretty much every club in the league, and I don’t think there are many clubs in the who wouldn’t want to have him.

“(However) nothing is sorted, nothing is done or completed or even very, very, very close, so that process will take its course.”

McKenna added: “We will be proud of the part that we have had in terms of Liam’s development and his contribution this season.

“If he stays with us, we will be delighted, and if he moves on this summer, it will be a positive sign for the club to have developed and sold a player at that sort of level and hopefully it will be a good move for him as well.”

Delap has scored 12 Premier League goals in 36 appearances this season, but that was not enough to see Ipswich avoid a swift return to the second tier.

McKenna, though, believes Delap never showed anything other than full commitment to Town’s survival battle.

“He has given everything to the cause and he is entitled to make a decision on what he thinks is best for the future,” the Ipswich boss said.

“I think the supporters will look back in time ahead with great fondness to some of his performances and some of the victories he was involved in.

“I really believe everyone will be following his career, if it isn’t at Ipswich, with the best of wishes.”

McKenna confirmed midfielder Massimo Luongo will be leaving the club this summer at the end of his contract.

Talks continue with defenders Cameron Burgess and Axel Tuanzebe over possibly extending their stay at Portman Road next season.

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