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A bad fit: Tottenham must ‘rid’ themselves South American star to accomodate rising English star

Originally posted on To The Lane And Back
By Rohan Sengupta | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 5:55 PM ET

Tottenham would be able to sign Liam Delap for £30million should Ipswich Town get relegated

Tottenham Hotspur have fallen well short of expectations in Ange Postecoglou’s second season. they have struggled to keep pace with their Premier League rivals, languishing in the bottom half of the table, and hopes of a top-10 finish are fading rapidly.

Despite being the second-highest scorers in the Premier League, the Lilywhites’ forward line has underperformed, plagued by inconsistency and an unprecedented injury situation. The key and experienced attackers have failed to deliver the goods, leaving Ange Postecoglou with few solutions to address the problem.

Thus, the Hotspur Way chiefs are scouring the market to find a reliable source of goals for next season. Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap has been one of the strikers heavily linked with a move to White Hart Lane.

The England under-21 international left Manchester City to join Ipswich Town last summer, and he has enjoyed a fine breakout campaign in the Premier League with 12 strikes in 30 appearances. He has been the rarest bright spot in an otherwise sorry season for the Tractor Boys, who look destined to return back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Should Ipswich Town get relegated from the top flight, Liam Delap’s release clause will drop to £30million. This has put several Premier League clubs on red alert, including Tottenham.

However, ex-Spurs scout Bryan King thinks either Richarlison or Dominic Solanke would need to be sold to make room for Liam Delap in the squad.

“Before Tottenham can sign anybody, they have to sort out Solanke and Richarlison’s futures,” Bryan King exclusively told Tottenham News.

“Richarlison has got to be moved on from the football club. He cost an awful lot of money, as did Solanke, and one of them will need to go if Delap is signed.

“I hope it is Richarlison who they decide to sell. Ever since he was at Everton, I haven’t been a fan of his reputation. He isn’t a good club man, and he hasn’t performed on the pitch. However, it wouldn’t be wise to go out and buy Delap until you’ve got rid of either Richarlison or Solanke.”

Tottenham made a statement by breaking the bank for Solanke last summer. The English striker’s first season has been a mixed bag so far, and after investing so much money on him, there is no way Levy would try to get rid of him after just one season.

This makes Richarlison the obvious choice. The Brazilian has not lived up to the lofty expectations of the Tottenham faithful since arriving from Everton in 2022. He has endured another injury-ravaged year, and even when on the pitch, the versatile forward has barely made an impact for Ange’s side.

So, it is not rocket science that we must offload Richarlison in the summer amid Everton interest and try replacing him with Delap, who has displayed plenty of potential in a mediocre Ipswich side.

This article first appeared on To The Lane And Back and was syndicated with permission.

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