Hull City could change transfer plans with Southampton 'keen' to land £10m Man City striker

It looks increasingly a big ask for Hull City to bring Liam Delap back to the MKM Stadium. Premier League champions Manchester City are reportedly prepared to cash in on the striker this summer, with a £10m price tag said to have been placed on the England Under-21 international.

According to Sun journalist Alan Nixon on his Patreon page, top flight new boys Southampton are pushing to seal a deal for Delap heading into the 2024/25 season. The Saints secured promotion to the Premier League after beating Leeds United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley last month.

The report claims Southampton have a strong interest in signing Delap on a full time basis, with the club facing the prospect of losing Che Adams. A loan deal for Delap is said to be City's preference.

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Delap, who still has another two years to run on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, spent last season on loan with the Tigers. It was Delap's third loan spell in the second tier of English football. Delap found the back of the net eight times in 31 outings, providing a real focal point in attack.

Despite missing a big chunk of the campaign with a serious knee injury, Delap is highly thought of in East Yorkshire. Increasing the Tigers' attacking firepower features high on head coach Tim Walter's priority list as he looks to build a team capable of challenging in the upper reaches of the division. City, whose first team squad report back in for the start of pre-season training tomorrow, currently have no recognised senior striker on their books.