Fabian Delph To Leave Manchester City?

Our gravelly voiced Yorkshireman looks set to be moving on if reports are correct.

By any stretch of the imagination, Manchester City snapped up a bargain when they signed Fabian Delph back in July 2015. The Aston Villa Captain had initially rejected a move to the Etihad but changed his mind as behind the scenes turmoil began to unfold at Villa.

The loss of Delph was too much to bear for many Villa supporters who began a campaign of hatred on social media, labelling him a snake. The animosity surrounding the move was compounded by the fact the transfer fee amounted to a paltry £8 million.

Delph was wise enough to know he was leaving Villa where he was an ever present key performer to go to City where he would be a squad player. Fulfilling a variety of roles since his move, Delph has shown his versatility – latterly exclusively playing as a makeshift left back.

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His time at Manchester City has been a success. He has played a total of 89 games over his time at the club and amassed an impressive haul of medals. He has achieved 2 Premier League titles, 1 FA Cup Winners medal and 3 League Cup Winners medals.

His performances for City have seen him earn a place in the England squad and last year he even skippered the national team. Yet, it is fair to say his performance levels seemed to dip last season. Whether this was a result of an injury interrupted campaign or due to being played out of position is unclear.

By 2019 he no longer seemed to be trusted by Pep Guardiola and he was reduced to just 5 appearances. This situation will clearly not be good for Delph who harbours ambitions to be part of the National team in the Euros in 2020.

Delph signed a 5 year contract with City back in 2015 so is entering the last 12 months of his deal, with no clear prospect of an extension being offered by City.

Coupled with this City have now added to their left back and midfield roster, suggesting there are much limited playing opportunities for Delph in the year ahead. It is not a shock to hear he has cleared his belongings from his locker at the Etihad Stadium and CFA.

So it is not a surprise to read Delph is looking for a new club. The question is where will his next move be?

At the moment press stories have suggested 3 main options for a move for Delph this Summer. Firstly, he would appear to be the subject of active courting by Galatasaray, which would be a brave and interesting move.

Secondly, there is a romantic option around a return to Leeds United where he would be welcomed as a returning hero. Bookmakers seem to have this at odds of 33/1, suggesting it is pretty unlikely. Delph would struggle to cement his England place if he was playing in a lower division.

Finally, West Ham United have emerged as an option in the last few days and they are likely to have some cash available given the impending sale of Arnautovic to a Chinese club. Certainly, West Ham would be the best option as he would be a key component of their first team.

Expect therefore Delph to be linked with other clubs in the next few days as he edges closer to an exit. City are rumoured to be looking for a fee of around £15 million for the England international, which certainly seems achievable.

He has been a good player for us and I wish him all the best for the future.