Liam Delap is on course to seal an immediate return to the Premier League as Chelsea close in on his signature. football.london understands that the Blues are looking increasingly likely to sign the striker from Ipswich Town in the summer transfer window following a very impressive season at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys may have succumbed to an immediate return to the Championship but Delap more than played his part in trying to help them survive after registering 12 goals and two assists in his 37 Premier League appearances. Duly coming to the attention of a number of clubs with Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest all keen to sign him, Chelsea appear to have won the race for the 22-year-old.
Amid the interest in his services, football.london understands that the frontman has given Chelsea the green light as he prefers a move to Stamford Bridge. Delap has a £30million release clause in his Ipswich contract and should Chelsea activate it, as expected, personal terms are the only thing standing in the way of the striker become a Blue.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca appears to be a key figure in the deal due to his relationship with Delap. The Italian knows the ex-Hull City loanee very well following their time working together in Manchester City’s academy.
Joe Shields, Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment and talent, also worked at City at the time and is understood to be a big admirer of Delap. Maresca is quite clearly a huge fan of the England Under-21 international and made that clear on quite a few occasions during the 2024/25 season.
Here is what the Chelsea boss had to say about the incoming striker.
Maresca on Delap ahead of Chelsea’s game at Ipswich in December
“Liam is a fantastic player for his age. We spent one year together and he scored 22/24 goals – he’s a very good striker,” outlined the Italian. “He works hard on and off the ball – he understands the game and can score goals.
“England are lucky with many good players and strikers [but] because of his age, he can be an important player for England.”
Maresca on Delap’s impressive performance in Ipswich’s 2-0 win
“This is Liam,” he stated. “I know Liam from some time ago. Probably in some moments we can defend a bit better. But congratulations to him and to them.”
Maresca on why Chelsea struggled against Delap after managing Dominic Calvert-Lewin well earlier in the month
“I think Liam is a bit different to [Dominic] Calvert-Lewin in terms of skills,” said Maresca. “But I think first-half we conceded a penalty and then we conceded one or two more chances in the same way; long ball for Liam, try to defend the ball and shoot.
“In the second-half, it was copy and paste. Again, we conceded the goal because we unfortunately made a mistake. Then they had some more moments, exactly the same; a longer ball for Liam and he fights against everyone and shoots. This is Liam. Liam and Calvert-Lewin, I think they’re a bit different.”
Maresca on Delap ahead of Chelsea’s home game against Ipswich in April
“In terms of numbers, he’s doing fantastic. It’s not just in terms of his numbers. The way he plays and fights and is always ‘there’. But he’s an Ipswich player,” said Maresca.
“He’s an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future.”
Maresca on comparing Delap with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland
“To compare Liam [Delap] with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, I think it’s a bit early,” he admitted. “But for sure, in terms of style he’s that kind of player. They are all real nines. They are No. 9s inside the box.
“But we also have a good No. 9 [in Nicolas Jackson]. He’s doing well since we started. Unfortunately, we’ve missed him, and sometimes you need to miss players to realise how important they are for you.
“With Nico, we are a completely different team compared to when he was injured. We are happy with Nico as our striker.”
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