Manchester City REJECT £16m bid from Premier League rivals Southampton for starlet Liam Delap

Manchester City REJECT £16m bid from Premier League rivals Southampton for starlet Liam Delap… and Saints could face competition from a number of clubs interested in loaning the 19-year-old

  • Southampton have had a £16m bid for Manchester City’s Liam Delap rejected 
  • The England Under-19 forward has generated interest from a host of clubs 
  • Vincent Kompany reportedly keen to raid his former side to take Delap on loan 
  • But he may face competition from Graham Potter who is also an admirer  

By Simon Jones and Dominic Hogan For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Manchester City have rejected a £16million bid from Southampton for teenage striker Liam Delap.

The 19-year-old is on City’s pre-season tour in the United States and has loan interest from a number of clubs including Burnley though a move there is considered unlikely.

City are prepared to allow Delap – the son of ex-Stoke man Rory – to leave on loan this summer to gain experience. 

Several clubs are interested in signing Manchester City forward Liam Delap this summer

He made his Premier League debut in the 2020-21 season in a 5-2 loss to Leicester City and played in the Champions League for the first time against Sporting Lisbon this February. 

But Premier League side Brighton have also been monitoring Delap’s situation closely, and are considering bolstering their own attacking options. 

And with the Seagulls already in talks with the reigning Premier League champions over the potential sale of Marc Cucurella, Delap could find himself unwittingly drawn into the conversation. 

Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton have already had a £16million bid rejected for the forward

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton have already had a £16million bid rejected for the forward

The 19-year-old was part of the England side to win the U19 Euros, and came off the bench in the final as the Three Lions beat Israel 3-1 after extra time. 

Kompany has already lured two City youngsters to Burnley on loan this summer – centre-backs CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with the ex-defender using his connections at the club.

He has also signed Scott Twine from MK Dons, Oxford’s Luke McNally, Samuel Bastien from Standard Liege and Anderlecht’s Josh Cullen. 

The 19-year-old is currently on City's tour of the US ahead of the new Premier League season

The 19-year-old is currently on City’s tour of the US ahead of the new Premier League season

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