Pep Guardiola told he’s made another Cole Palmer error as Harry Kane claim is made

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City may well have made another Cole Palmer-type howler as Liam Delap - hailed as "Harry Kane's obvious successor" - continues to turn heads.

When City academy product Palmer was snapped up by Chelsea in September last year for £42.5million, many questioned the price tag. But 14 months on, his worth has skyrocketed by becoming one of the Premier League's shining stars and bagging a Young Player of the Year award for his first season in west London.

Now, the bitter regret experienced by City regarding Palmer may extend beyond the Blues talisman, as Ipswich Town hitman Delap - who was signed from City for £20m this July - has made a huge impact as a first-choice Premier League striker.

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Many, including BBC pundit and former City defender Danny Mills, have praised the 21-year-old goalscorer for his performances so far this campaign, having grabbed six league goals already. He is now being touted as the natural replacement on the international stage for England captain Kane, too.

Mills said on Match of the Day 2: "He's got a lot of qualities. I mean, I've seen him a bit, quite a lot this season, and I'd probably go as far as to say he is, for me, the obvious long-term successor to [Harry] Kane.

"I think he's the best young English striker out there. I know he's got a bit to learn, and wisdom comes from experience and game time in this league, but he's got all the attributes to be a top international.

“I just don’t see a weakness for him; I mean, yeah, he's scored enough goals in a struggling side, really, but he gets a lot of chances, and he'll score more. He's just got that lovely balance between physical and technical, and rarely you get both, yeah, he's a super talent.”

Mills is not the only one who has been left impressed by Delap, with former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke also heaping praise on the Englishman. When asked by Prime Casino about his top-three current Premier League strikers, Yorke gave him a mention as he said: "There's the guy at Ipswich, Liam Delap.

"He's a real surprise player. Watching him against Villa, I thought, 'bloody hell, he looks a handful'. You can just go by one game, but he looks a threat."

Only time will tell whether Guardiola and City will come to regret their decision, with Erling Haaland being their only major goal threat this season. And with Kane now 31 and set to pass down the baton to another England marksman in the near future, there is still plenty of room for Delap to develop on both the domestic and international stage.

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