Chelsea are said to be 'quietly confident' of beating Manchester United to the signature of Ipswich Town's Liam Delap during the summer transfer window.
A £30m release clause in the 22-year-old's Portman Road deal should soon kick in, as he will supposedly be available for that price in the event that the Tractor Boys go down.
Kieran McKenna's men are 15 points adrift of safety in the Premier League table with just five games left, meaning that their relegation could be confirmed on Saturday if West Ham United can at least draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Having blossomed as Ipswich's frontman with 12 goals from 32 appearances in the 2024-25 Premier League season, Delap will certainly be offered the chance to continue his career in the top flight next term.
Chelsea and Man United appear to be the two frontrunners for the striker's signature at this stage, and the Red Devils are understood to have made him their number one attacking target for the summer window.
Chelsea expect Delap deal to 'swing' in their favour
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However, GIVEMESPORT claims that Chelsea internally believe they are ahead of the Manchester giants in the race, having been pursuing the Ipswich hitman for longer than Ruben Amorim's side.
Enzo Maresca is familiar with Delap from their time at Man City under Pep Guardiola, and Chelsea are confident that they hold the 'edge' over Man United in the two-horse race.
While Chelsea are prioritising a swoop for the £30m man, the report adds that Man United are still considering a deal for Napoli's Victor Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray.
The Nigerian's wages and potential unwillingness to join could scupper Man United's pursuit of him, though, but Delap has also given the Red Devils no indication that he wants to join.
Chelsea are apparently in the dark as well, as the 22-year-old is giving nothing away regarding his future whatsoever, but the Blues are growing ever more hopeful of winning the race.
What Man United need to do to win Delap race
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As well as Man United still being undecided on their move for Osimhen, Chelsea's superior position in the Premier League standings could also be taken into account by Delap and his representatives.
However, there remains the possibility that Man United could be playing Champions League football while Chelsea miss out on a top-five place, as the Blues are realistically battling Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle United for three spots in Europe's elite competition.
Meanwhile, Man United will return to the UCL for 2025-26 if they can conquer the Europa League, preparing to face Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals before a potential showpiece match versus Tottenham Hotspur or Bodo/Glimt.
The Red Devils will surely have to win the Europa League to stand any chance of leapfrogging Chelsea in the Delap race, but they may already have a key advantage on the playing side.
Indeed, Delap should expect to displace the ineffective Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee straight away at Old Trafford, but Nicolas Jackson will not give up his place at Chelsea without a fight.
Ben Knapton
