Ian Wright tells Man Utd to sign 'hungry' EPL star to solve striking woes

Ian Wright believes Liam Delap would be the perfect signing for Manchester United in the summer.

The Red Devils have endured a difficult 2024-25 campaign and are likely to be active in the transfer market this summer in order to give Ruben Amorim the foundations to re-establish the club as a force in the Premier League.

Goals have been hard to come by for United and both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee - a summer signing from Bologna - have been criticised this term.

It's expected Amorim will look for a new striker ahead of the 2025-26 campaign and a move for Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres has been mooted given the success they enjoyed in Portugal - but Wright thinks United should swoop for Delap instead after watching the Ipswich Town frontman this term.

Speaking on the Wrighty's House podcast, Wright was discussing United's need for goals and said: "Go and get Delap. The thing is he’s got that hunger and disrespect for everybody and it just feels like the kind of player they need.

"They need a hero like that and he’s a hero waiting to happen. He’s hungry."

Whether or not a deal for Delap would be viable, though, is another matter. After plundering nine Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys this season, other clubs have already been credited with an interest in the former Manchester City man, including Chelsea.

Regardless of whether it's Delap or someone else who comes in to try and get more goals for United, Wright went on to point out that there are plenty of other issues which also need sorting if Amorim is to get the club firing again.

He added: "Obviously, Zirkzee came on (against Leicester recently) and he got one but I don’t think they put the ball in the box enough. I don’t think there’s anyone in the box for when the cross comes in. I don’t think they link the play or keep the ball well enough in the final third to sustain pressure on a team.

"They lose the ball and then teams can break on them. There’s no structure to whether they are going to try to play through teams or around them. So the forwards don’t know what’s coming. They don’t get the kind of service they depend on.

"When’s the last time you saw a Man United player score a goal where he’s got across a guy at a near post? You don’t see those goals from Man United."