Andy Cole asked to choose between Manchester United and Newcastle United again
Andy Cole has stayed coy on whether Liam Delap should choose Newcastle United or Manchester United.
The dilemma poses the same question that he infamously faced 30 years ago. At the time, Kevin Keegan was hounded by Toon supporters after Newcastle sold Cole for £6million and Keith Gillespie.
Offloading the club’s best striker to a direct rival incensed the fan base - with Cole going on to win numerous Premier Leagues and a Champions League title at Old Trafford. Fast forward to the present and the dilemma of choosing between Newcastle and Man United has changed.
The Magpies boast an ambitious ownership aiming to take on the European elite. They currently sit third and sent the city into a frenzy by winning the Carabao Cup last month.
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As for the Red Devils, they are a faded force from the Sir Alex Ferguson era. No longer can Man United attract the world's best stars on history and prestige alone.
The club are 14th and destined for their worst Premier League campaign ever. PSR restrictions are also weighing heavily on Old Trafford chiefs, with several high-earning stars still on the books.
One player who could find himself in a similar position to Cole is Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. Reports have linked Newcastle and Man United to the 22-year-old following his breakout top-flight campaign.
The Magpies beat Ipswich last weekend to condemn them to relegation 12 months after promotion. In doing so, Delap’s £30million release clause became active - putting potential suitors on red alert.
Cole refrained from choosing between Newcastle or Man United again when offering advice to the young goalscorer. He told OLGB: “Wherever he goes, if he does go in the summer, it's going to be very interesting. He's had his first season of the Premier League and he's got 12 or 13 goals.
“He's young and we can talk about, yeah, he's one for the future, but the teams that you mentioned (Newcastle and Manchester United) both need an out-and-out goal scorer. Isak has been unbelievable for Newcastle this season and, if he can stay away from injuries, come next season, Newcastle can propel themselves forward again.
“In Manchester United's case, they've got two young strikers now who have found it really difficult and they're at that stage now where a little bit of experience would do them really well. I've already mentioned someone like Osimhen but someone who's got that experience to play at a club like Manchester United and score goals throughout their career. Both teams would possibly like to do something like that, a little bit more experience.”