Derby County will now ‘receive’ a benefit once Liam Delap completes his transfer to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town.
Derby are historically prolific at producing talented youngsters through their academy.
The likes of Will Hughes, Archie Brown and Morgan Whittaker have all flourished since leaving Pride Park, while others have netted the Rams a financial windfall.
When Derby sold Omari Kellyman to Aston Villa for £600,000 in 2022, the club were smart enough to insert a sell-on clause of 15% in his contract.
The 18-year-old has since completed a £19 million move to Chelsea this summer, with the Rams pocketing a decent sum of £2.85 million as a result.
A similar narrative is set to unfold with former academy graduate Liam Delap, who is closing in on a £20 million move to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town.
Derby County set to receive Liam Delap sell-on clause
Delap spent 10 years in Derby’s academy before being snapped up by Manchester City in the summer of 2019.
The 21-year-old has been in demand this summer following an impressive loan spell at Hull City last term, where he terrorised Championship defences most weeks and scored eight goals.
Premier League appears to be the powerful strikers’ next destination, as while Southampton had a bid accepted, he’s set for a medical at Ipswich today ahead of a switch reportedly worth £15m upfront and £5m in add-ons.
According to Derbyshire Live journalist Leigh Curtis, Derby did insert a set-on clause into the deal that took him from Pride Park to the Etihad in 2019.
Derby will reap some benefit from Liam Delap move to Ipswich. There was a sell-on clause when the striker left Pride Park for the Etihad in 2019. A bonus but not expecting Derby to act like a kid in a sweet shop as a result. #DCFC #DCFCfanshttps://t.co/MenYDZdqJL
— Leigh Curtis (@LeighCurtis_DT) July 10, 2024
The bonus could be similar to the one received from Kellyman’s transfer to Chelsea, although Curtis doesn’t expect David Clowes to splash the cash as a result.
Indeed, if the sell-on clause is 10%, Derby are to receive £2 million from the transfer, while they could reap £3 million if the clause is 15%.
Derby County need a striker like Liam Delap
Delap possesses a frightening burst of pace and the power to run beyond defenders with ease. He’s almost impossible to stop on the half turn and he can fashion opportunities for himself single-handedly.
When compared against Championship strikers in 2023/24, he ranked inside the top 3% for successful take-ons and progressive carries, as per FBref, with Delap showing how much of a handful he is to play against.
Standing at 6 foot 1, the Rams academy graduate is also physically imposing and can hold up the ball for his teammates and win aerial duels.
Although Paul Warne has signed Kayden Jackson permanently and Jerry Yates on loan from Swansea, neither possess the physical attributes of Delap, whose pace and power can change a game in an instant.
Jackson has been described as “electric” in the past due to his pace and Yates is a willing runner but Warne could only dream of owning a striker like Delap, who at 21, looks to have a very bright future in the game.
