West Ham United ‘in major £40m Liam Delap twist’ as player set to be replaced
Graham Potter will be eager to get going in the summer transfer window as he looks to put his own stamp on the West Ham United squad.
The boss has had a slow start to life at West Ham, with a limited winter transfer window meaning his side are staggering on until the end of the season.
However, Potter is seemingly already planning for the summer, with striker Ipswich Town Liam Delap being eyed up for a move to East London.
Delap seen as West Ham replacement
There is plenty of work for Potter to do in the summer transfer window, but one area that definitely needs attention is the attacking options.
The Hammers have been hit with plenty of bad luck this season, with Michail Antonio out injured for the foreseeable as well as Niclas Fullkrug having also missed large parts of the season.
As a result, Evan Ferguson was brought in on loan from Brighton during the winter transfer window, although he has failed to get going in East London.
The 20-year-old has made six appearances for the Irons but is yet to get off the mark and could not even get off the bench in his side’s draw with Bournemouth on Saturday (5 April).
| Apperances | Starts | Goals |
| 6 | 1 | 0 |
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that, according to GiveMeSport (8 April), West Ham are unconvinced by the idea of signing Ferguson on a permanent deal and instead, he is likely to return to his parent club Brighton at the end of the campaign.
However, the report states that Potter is turning his attention to a deal for Delap instead of this, with Ipswich set to suffer relegation to the Championship.
If the Tractor Boys do go down, it is reported that a £40million release clause will become active for the striker’s services, although United will face stiff competition for his services.
Ferguson not worth the risk for West Ham
When Ferguson first signed for the Hammers in the winter transfer window, it was expected to be a move that could work out.
Given Potter already knew the youngster from his time at Brighton, alongside his ability to work well with young players, there was the hope that the striker would be the addition needed at the top of the pitch.
At such a young age, there is still the chance for Ferguson to reach higher levels and his international performances for the Republic of Ireland certainly showed glimpses of that.
However, the boss will need to get going with his team ahead of the new season and therefore, this seems like too big of a risk.
Going for the services of Delap won’t be easy given he is being eyed by a number of sides, but he is certainly someone with the proven experience that West Ham should be seeking.