There aren’t many teams in the Premier League that have been worse than Manchester United this season but West Ham are one of them.
It’s been a season to forget for the Hammers and Red Devils.
Man United look destined to finish no higher than 13th while West Ham are currently battling it out with Wolves to avoid being the worst team in the Premier League outside of the bottom three.
Although Manchester United may still rescue their dismal campaign if they can somehow win the Europa League.
That will be Ruben Amorim’s only route into Europe next season.
So it is clear major work needs to be done to improve and overhaul both his and Graham Potter’s squads this summer.
Hammers and Red Devils on collision course over Delap
A striker – or perhaps even two depending on outgoings – is on the agenda for both the Hammers and Man United.
So it was inevitable that would put the two clubs on a collision course over certain transfer targets.
One such player being Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.
Man United are considering trying to offload Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund as they look to bring in a striker former Hammers target Amorim actually wants.
Delaps been a topic of hot conversation in the West Ham boardroom – and at home when it comes to majority owner David Sullivan.
Sullivan’s sons won’t stop raving about Delap to their billionaire majority owner dad.
Sullivan’s sons are both on the board at West Ham, where new head of recruitment Kyle Macauley is looking to drive down the age of the Premier League’s oldest squad.
Last month Hammers News exclusively revealed Manchester United had made it clear they want Delap too in the summer.
Since then the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and Brighton have also been heavily linked with the Man City academy graduate.
Agbonlahor urges Delap to sign for West Ham instead of ‘negative’ Manchester United
West Ham have been hopeful of competing for Delap by virtue of being the biggest club of those interested where he would be a guaranteed starter week in, week out.
But the Man United interest means that wouldn’t necessarily be the case.
West Ham’s board were tight-lipped about Delap last week when Hammers News put new information to them about the powerful forward’s reasonable £30m relegation release clause.
Now one former Premier League striker has given Delap some advice that Sullivan will love.
Because Gabby Agbonlahor has urged Delap to sign for West Ham instead of ‘negative’ Manchester United.
It was put to Agbonlahor on talkSPORT that Delap is now Man United’s prime striker target – as Hammers News first revealed a month ago.
Arsenal were also mentioned as a potential rival suitor.
But Agbonlahor thinks Delap would be better served signing for West Ham as the next step in his career progression.
“I’d take him over what they’ve (Man United) got,” Agbonlahor said.
“He’s better than Hojlund, better than Zirkzee but if I’m Delap, well I’d tell him not to go there.
“It’s still negative there at Man United. Anyone who goes there bar (Bruno) Fernandes has been a disappointment in recent years.
Delap needs ‘in-between’ West Ham next says Agbonlahor
“I would go to a different club, why not go to Arsenal? I could see him at Arsenal I really could. But has he done enough yet to warrant signing for a team that’s competing for the Premier League title? I don’t know.
“Does he take a step in-between that, you know like a West Ham.
“West Ham need a striker in the summer, (Evan) Ferguson is only loan isn’t he, so maybe a West Ham might suit him better.
“But I do really rate him.”
West Ham will be releasing Danny Ings and sending Ferguson back to Brighton this summer.
Michail Antonio could be handed a new one-year deal but that is yet to be confirmed.
And while Niclas Fullkrug has impressed, his age and injury issues mean West Ham might be looking to offload the German too.
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