Nottingham Forest’s search for a new striker could lead them to Ipswich’s Liam Delap, with the 21-year-old being touted as a potential long-term replacement for England striker Harry Kane.
Delap has been in impressive form this season, scoring six goals in the Premier League, and has caught the eye of former Premier League player Danny Murphy. “He’s got a lot of qualities,” Murphy said. “I’ve seen him quite a lot this season, and I’d probably go as far as to say that, for me, he’s the obvious long-term successor to Kane.”
Former Nottingham Forest player Garry Birtles believes that Delap would be a great addition to Forest’s squad, and has urged manager Nuno Espirito Santo to make a move for the striker. “I haven’t seen much of him, but you do read and I’ve heard about him, and if he’s scoring goals at that level, then we’ve got to be interested in him,” Birtles said.
Birtles, who played for Forest between 1976 and 1980, believes that Delap’s goal-scoring record is impressive, and that he would be a valuable addition to Forest’s squad. “He’s scoring goals regularly, and that’s what we need,” Birtles said. “We need someone who can score goals consistently, and Delap seems to be doing that.”
While Delap may be out of Forest’s price range, with Ipswich having paid £20m for him in the summer, Birtles believes that the club should be looking to add another striker to their squad. Chris Wood has been in good form this season, scoring eight goals, but Birtles thinks that Forest need to have more options up front.
“Chris Wood has been doing well, but we need more options,” Birtles said. “We can’t just rely on one striker, we need to have more depth in our squad. Delap would be a great addition, but if we can’t get him, then we need to look elsewhere.”
Forest’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, will be aware of the need to strengthen his squad in January, and Birtles’ comments will only add to the speculation surrounding the club’s transfer plans. With Delap unlikely to be a realistic target, Forest will need to look elsewhere to find the striker they need to boost their chances of success this season.
The January transfer window is always a challenging time for clubs to do business, but Forest will be hoping to make some key signings to help them push up the table. With Delap’s impressive form making him a hot property, Forest will need to act quickly if they want to bring him to the City Ground.
It remains to be seen whether Forest will make a move for Delap, but one thing is certain – the club needs to bring in another striker to provide some competition and depth to the squad. With the January transfer window just around the corner, Forest fans will be eagerly awaiting news of any potential signings.
As the transfer speculation continues to build, Forest’s players will be focusing on their upcoming fixtures, starting with their Premier League clash against [opponent]. With the club looking to climb the table, the players will need to be focused and determined if they are to achieve their goals.
In the meantime, Forest fans will be keeping a close eye on the transfer market, hoping that the club will make some key signings to strengthen their squad. With Delap’s name being mentioned as a potential target, fans will be eager to see if the club can bring him to the City Ground.
