Chelsea are interested in signing Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap in the summer
Chelsea started the 2024/25 season strongly and looked certain to claim a spot in the UEFA Champions League, but a recent slump has raised doubts over the squad at Enzo Maresca’s disposal.
Injuries have also played a big part in disrupting the Blues’ season. Nicolas Jackson is the latest star to enter the treatment room, with the centre-forward now ruled out for six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury. In the Senegalese’s absence, Enzo Maresca has to find a way to get the best out of the team while not affecting productivity.
The Pensioners desperately require a new centre-forward who can score goals consistently. They have been linked with a number of strikers in recent months, including Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.
Liam Delap, who joined Ipswich Town from Manchester City last summer for £20 million, has caught the eye of Chelsea’s scouting team with his impressive performances in the Premier League. Despite the Tractor Boys’ struggles with the big boys, the Englishman has been a revelation, bagging nine goals and two assists in 23 appearances.
The 22-year-old’s goalscoring form, age, potential and homegrown status have meant plenty of big clubs have been circling ahead of the summer transfer window, but respected journalist Ben Jacobs claims Chelsea are leading the race to sign him from Ipswich Town. He has also revealed that Delap is “intrigued by the idea” of signing for Maresca’s Chelsea.
“Delap, I think, is also quite intrigued by the Chelsea project, especially knowing that if he’s the number nine that comes in, he may stand a very strong chance of supplanting or at least competing with Nicolas Jackson, who, we must stress, Chelsea do still have big faith in. So, Chelsea and Delap are one to watch,” Ben Jacobs said on GIVEMESPORT’S Market Madness podcast.
Delap has now become a household name in England on his breakout Premier League campaign. The Winchester-born talent has shown enough potential to perhaps become one of Chelsea’s top targets. Regardless of what happens with Ipswich at the end of the season, one would expect the hulky centre-forward to move on for pastures new and him being charmed by the booming project at Stamford Bridge under Maresca is good news for the Pensioners.
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The ex-England Under-21 international would give a focal point to Chelsea’s attack which they have lacked a lot of times this season. Strong, powerful, pacey and athletic, Delap could solve the club’s goalscoring woes for the long term with assistance from creative talents such as Cole Palmer, Jadon Sancho, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez.
While Manchester City retain a buy-back clause for Delap, it appears unlikely they will exercise this option due to the presence of Erling Haaland and tying him down to a lengthy contract, paving the way for Chelsea to make their move in the summer.
