‘Harry Kane’s successor’ – Pep Guardiola facing second Cole Palmer error as claim is made

Pep Guardiola and Manchester City risk further Cole Palmer-esque embarrassment as Liam Delap – described as 'Harry Kane's obvious successor' – continues to impress.

When City Academy graduate Palmer was sold to Chelsea in September last year, his £42.5million fee raised eyebrows. But fast forward fourteen months and the England maestro is one of the league's brightest talents, even boasting a Young Player of the Year award.

Now the Manchester embarrassment may not stop with Palmer. Signed from City for £20m in July, Ipswich Town hitman Delap is a hot shot as the first-choice striker in the Premier League.

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

“He has many qualities. I mean, I've seen him a little, a lot this season, and I'd probably go so far as to say he's the obvious long-term successor for me. [Harry] Kane,” said Mills in Match of the Day 2.

“I think he is the best young English striker around. I know he still has some learning to do, and wisdom comes from experience and playing time in this league, but he has all the attributes to become a top international.

“I just don't see any weakness for him; I mean, yes, he has actually scored plenty of goals in a struggling side, but he is getting a lot of chances and he will score more. He just has a nice balance between physical and technical, and rarely do you get both. Yes, he is a super talent.”

It is not just Mills who is surprised by Delap, ex-Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has also praised the Englishman.

When asked by Prime Casino about his top three Premier League strikers, Yorke began: “There's the guy at Ipswich, Liam Delap. He is a real surprise player. When I saw him against Villa I thought: 'Damn, he looks a handful'. You can only go by one game, but he looks threatening.”

Only time will tell if Guardiola and City will regret their decision as there would have been at least a few minutes in charge of the Cityzens line with Erling Haaland in charge. But with Kane now 31 and the title soon to be passed to another marksman for England, there is still plenty of room for Delap to develop on both domestic and international platforms.