Manchester United’s Premier League title ambitions this season depend heavily on how effectively they use the remaining weeks of the transfer window.
Manager Michael Carrick has already brought in Karl Darlow, Andrey Santos, and Youri Tielemans, but further additions are clearly required before the deadline passes.
United completed the £74m signing of striker Benjamin Sesko from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig last summer as part of a major recruitment drive at Old Trafford.
The Slovenian international netted 11 league goals during his debut campaign, finishing as the club’s joint-top goalscorer and justifying the significant outlay made to secure him.
However, the demands of competing in both the Premier League and the Champions League could place considerable strain on the 23-year-old striker throughout 2026/27.
Carrick’s side are also actively looking to offload Joshua Zirkzee before the window closes, which would leave Sesko as the only senior striker on the books.
With that attacking vulnerability in mind, INEOS appear to be exploring options to bring in a second forward before the summer deadline arrives later this month.
Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen has been mentioned as one possibility, with the player reportedly open to a move to the Premier League this summer.
Chelsea’s Liam Delap has also emerged on United’s transfer shortlist, with TEAMtalk reporting that the club have been in talks with the player’s representatives over a potential deal.
Everton and Nottingham Forest have also held conversations regarding Delap, with Everton said to be currently leading the race to sign the 23-year-old forward.
Chelsea are reportedly demanding £40m to sanction his departure, a fee that could represent strong value given the qualities Delap would bring to Old Trafford.
Delap was on United’s shortlist prior to his move to Stamford Bridge last summer, meaning Carrick’s side have long been admirers of the Englishman’s abilities.
The striker has built a reputation as a strong and physical forward capable of leading the line and functioning as a hold-up option when the team needs it.
He won an impressive 2.1 aerials per 90 and 1.6 fouls per 90, ranking him in the top 18% of forwards in the Premier League by those measures.
Those statistics highlight his ability to unsettle defenders and draw fouls in dangerous areas, forcing opposition sides into errors when trying to contain him.
Delap also completed 77% of his attempted dribbles in the Premier League last season, demonstrating a willingness to run in behind and stretch defensive lines.
Those traits carry notable similarities to Sesko, who impressed at Old Trafford with his aerial presence and ability to challenge defenders physically throughout his debut campaign.
Delap did score 12 goals during the 2024/25 campaign at Ipswich Town, a tally that actually surpassed the 11 league goals Sesko managed in his first United season.
His time at Chelsea has been less productive, but his underlying qualities suggest a change of environment could reignite the form he showed at Ipswich.
Landing Delap for £40m would give Carrick genuine attacking depth, allowing both strikers to share the workload across all competitions and potentially thrive together throughout the season.