Manchester United and Chelsea face new Premier League rivals in £30million Drapp battle

Manchester United and Chelsea face new competition in the fight for Liam Drapp

competition for Liam Drapp is heating up, with a third Premier League club joining the battle for the Ipswich striker and planning a face-to-face meeting with the 22-year-old this week.

Drapp has met with Manchester United and is expected to have further discussions with Chelsea to weigh the next step in his career.

Both clubs are struggling to trigger the £30 million termination clause activated by Ipswich's relegation, but they are no longer the only competitors.

According to the latest report from talkSPORT, Newcastle United is the latest team to show serious intentions, and the Magpies are preparing to meet with Drapp and his representatives in the coming days.

According to talkSPORT, Newcastle United is one of the clubs that will hold talks with Ipswich's popular forward Liam Drapp this week.

Drapp plans to have face-to-face discussions with all suitors before deciding who to join this summer.

Drapp has met with Manchester United and will also hold talks with Chelsea's top leaders, according to reports on Monday.

The former young Manchester City player most wants to return to the Northwest, but he will consider many factors, including his chances of playing in Europe next season.

Eddie Howe is looking for another striker, Callum Wilson is expected to leave, and the demand for European football next season puts additional pressure on top scorer Alexander Isaac.

Drapp has caught the attention of a strong performance in Ipswich, scoring 12 goals in 35 Premier League games, enough to convince several top clubs that he is ready for promotion.

Magpies have a long history of interest in Drapp, but this week's decision to negotiate face-to-face, suggests that the club's intentions have changed. The club has been evaluating the forwards for months, and Drapp now seems to be on the top of the shortlist.

Drapp is reportedly prefers to stay in the northwest, and he joined Manchester City as a teenager and has lived in the area for the past few years.

However, former England striker Darren Bent summarized a potential risk to Old Trafford on the talkSPORT show. "Double Hoylund, is that?" he said, referring to possible similarities between young player Drapp and the Danish striker, who sometimes struggles to lead the front alone.

Manchester United fan Andy Goldstein's comments were more direct. “I think he’s really a good player, but I don’t think he’s fully mature yet,” he said. "We (Hoylund) also have a Liam Drapp, but the lineup is not good at the moment. We also have Liam Drapp. I don't think they're playing together is a solution."

This remark is exactly the same as Jamie Carragher's warning earlier this week, when Carragher said at the time that it would be better to take the middle route before joining the top six clubs, such as joining Everton.