Aston Villa urged to sign Liam Delap after what Rashford did v Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa could make a summer swoop for Liam Delap after the loan signing of Marcus Rashford in the winter.
The England international has been a success at Villa Park since completing a temporary move from Manchester United after falling out with Ruben Amorim.
Since moving to B6, the forward has been a success, scoring the goals against Preston North End to send the Villans to a first FA Cup semi-final in 10 years.
Against Nottingham Forest, the 27-year-old came off the bench in a cameo that could spark a move for Delap from Ipswich Town.
Aston Villa could replace Rashford with Delap
The loan signing has had a terrific impact in the West Midlands, scoring three and assisting four in claret and blue so far.
With that being said, his time at Villa Park could come to an end when the season finishes if his loan spell isn’t made permanent in the summer.
If that option is to be passed up on, Unai Emery is likely to be keen on bringing in a new forward option to benefit his side ahead of the new season.
Speaking on the Football Fill-In (8 April), former Man United goalkeeper Ben Foster has suggested that Delap could have a better impact in certain clashes compared to Rashford.
He said: “I think when Emery brought him on he would have said, ‘Forest have had some chances, I need you to get the ball, try and get it down and get us up the pitch.’
“There were a couple of times when they played it long into him, and he’s not willing to stick his head up there and get hurt. The ball just came back and came back and it just left me thinking, if Villa had a Liam Delap, someone to hold it up and bring everyone up the pitch, it would benefit them massively.”
Delap could shine at Aston Villa
Despite Ipswich looking destined for the Championship, there is no doubt that the 22-year-old can hold his head up high after an excellent season.
The England under-21 international has netted 12 goals in his first full year in the Premier League, sparking the interest of the majority of the division.
| Stat (Premier League 24/25) | Liam Delap (Ipswich Town) | Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa) |
| Appearances | 30 | 7 |
| Goals | 12 | 1 |
| Assists | 2 | 2 |
Delap has excellent physicality, pace and an eye for goal, which could make him an asset if given the chance to develop under Emery.
Morgan Rogers has shown what a difference the Spaniard can make to aid improvement for young talent, and the former Hull City loanee could prove to be the next in line.
This could prove to be the end for Rashford at Villa Park, which could come as a blow as his impact in B6 has been superb despite his struggles against Forest.