David Moyes would love to lure Liam Delap to Everton this summer - but fears the Ipswich striker will fancy a move elsewhere. The Toffees will get a close-up view of the England U21 international when they host the Tractor Boys at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Delap, 22, is courting interest from and with a £30m release clause in his contract active now Kieran McKenna’s side are relegated.
Moyes is a fan of the former front man and are in desperate need of a goalscorer but the striker who has 12 goals this season may not fancy a move to Merseyside.
The Scot said: “He would be one who we would certainly have an interest in. I think what he probably has to look at will probably be bigger than what we are. So, we would certainly be interested if he was interested in us. That’s for sure.”
Everton do have a decision to make on one of their strikers at the club with Dominic Calvert-Lewin out of contract this summer. Calvert-Lewin, 28, has not featured since January owing to a hamstring injury and has just returned to training. But the England international did an interview with the this week in which he said he would be interested in staying at the club.
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Moyes admits it is a tough decision on his contract owing to his fitness issues. He added: “I think when we came in we've had 10 injuries, which has really worried me. We can't be bringing in players who are not going to reliable and not going to be available so it's hugely important to the decision-making.
“Are we getting the value out of the players for the games they play? We need people to be available. There may be other reasons for it but at the moment those players need to show they can make themselves robust. For us to be successful we need players fit and available.”
Calvert-Lewin is back in training but is unlikely to be fit to face Ipswich. With little to play for other than positions in the table, Moyes can use the remaining four games to look at players. But he admits assessing Calvert-Lewin in this period may be unfair.
Moyes added: “It would probably be unfair to put the pressure on him as he's obviously not fit as far as he's not match fit. He has only had three days' training so that would be really unfair to judge him.
“It's not me who is always judging him, Evertonians are judging him and they will have their own thoughts on how they think he has done over the years.
“I'll be the one who makes the final decision but Dom is the one who has to show us he can be robust and fit to play. Undoubtedly he has qualities other strikers don't have and he has to show us when he gets those opportunities he has to take them.
“The first game for me he got me a goal against and it probably made him feel better. I do believe if he had been around the tea he would have got a few more goals.”
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