Mikel Arteta (foto: Getty Images)
Could Liam Delap thrive at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta? A tactical look at how the Ipswich striker’s skillset matches the Gunners’ playing style.
As Arsenal search for a new striker ahead of the 2024/25 season, Liam Delap has emerged as a realistic and intriguing target. With high-profile names like Benjamin Šeško and Alexander Isak carrying hefty price tags, Delap offers a cheaper yet promising alternative, reportedly available for €35 million after Ipswich’s confirmed relegation. But would he fit into Mikel Arteta’s system — and could he be the striker Arsenal need?
🔍 A physically dominant striker with Premier League exposure
Delap, 22, brings a profile Arsenal currently lack in their striker rotation. Despite playing for a struggling Ipswich side, he managed 12 goals in 34 Premier League appearances this season — no small feat in a relegated team. His numbers are even more impressive considering Ipswich’s lack of sustained attacking play, meaning Delap often worked off scraps and isolated situations.
Standing at 1.86m, Delap is a physical presence who thrives in hold-up play and aerial duels. He ranks in the top percentile of Premier League strikers for aerial challenges won and progressive passes received among lower-table forwards, highlighting his ability to serve as a focal point.
At Arsenal, where build-up involves playing through the thirds, a striker comfortable with back-to-goal play, laying off passes, and combining in tight spaces would be an asset. While Gabriel Jesus offers movement and creativity, Delap would add a more direct, powerful option, particularly useful against low blocks.
Transition threat and verticality
Arteta has emphasized verticality and quick transitions in key games, especially this past season as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League, falling just short of Manchester City. Delap’s style complements this shift: he is excellent at making diagonal runs into the channels, attacking space behind defenders, and stretching defensive lines.
One of Ipswich’s most frequent attacking patterns this season involved long balls or direct passes into Delap’s path, allowing him to isolate centre-backs. At Arsenal, with better service from players like Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Declan Rice, his runs could become decisive final-third movements rather than desperate outlet balls.
Room for technical growth
A notable question is whether Delap has the technical refinement Arteta demands in tight, possession-based sequences. While his link-up play has improved since leaving Manchester City, he’s not as silky in short combinations as Jesus or Kai Havertz, often relying on physicality rather than finesse.
However, Arteta’s track record with player development — think of William Saliba, Ødegaard, or Ben White evolving under his coaching — suggests Delap’s technical ceiling could be raised within Arsenal’s environment. His work ethic and pressing intensity, already strong, would align well with Arteta’s high defensive standards for forwards.
Tactical flexibility
Importantly, Delap’s arrival wouldn’t necessarily displace Jesus or Havertz but could provide a complementary profile. Against deeper defenses, he’d be an option for attacking crosses, second balls, and physical duels inside the box. In matches requiring more pressing or a roaming forward, Arteta could continue to deploy Jesus or Havertz, keeping Delap as a “Plan B” striker without sacrificing quality.
His presence would also reduce the need to push midfielders like Mikel Merino or Declan Rice higher up the pitch to compensate for striker injuries, as was the case in crucial moments last season.
Verdict: a smart tactical addition with developmental upside
Liam Delap wouldn’t be Arsenal’s headline summer signing, but he could prove a smart, pragmatic reinforcement. His skill set addresses gaps in Arsenal’s striker department — offering physicality, vertical threat, and aerial strength — while his youth and coachability fit Arteta’s project.
With Arsenal facing a demanding 2024/25 season across four competitions, including the Champions League, adding a player capable of leading the line in rotation or specific tactical contexts makes sense. Delap wouldn’t walk into the XI, but he wouldn’t need to — he’d give Arteta a versatile tool for different challenges, at a price that preserves budget flexibility for other areas.
If Arsenal secure his signature, it might just be another case of Manchester City letting a gem slip away, while Arteta’s Gunners reap the rewards.
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Written by Klemen Kos , football journalist with 20 years of experience.
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