Liam Dellup warming up in Ipswichtown before kicking off before a Premier League match at Portman … more
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Liam Delap has several Premier League suitors selected. The 22-year-old enjoys a breakout season in the UK’s top division, scoring 12 times for relegated Ipswichtown, attracting attention from many clubs on the table. According to a recent report, Delap has chosen to join Chelsea.
Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Everton were linking with centre forwards, available for £30 million this summer, as release clauses were activated following Ipswich’s relegation to the championship. However, it appears that Chelsea have won the race. Delap will turn blue next season.
Loklau, Poland – May 28: After Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez lifts UEFA Conference League Trophy … more
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Chelsea secured the Champions League qualifiers on the final day of the season and won the conference league final against Real Betis on Wednesday. Bruce has made progress under Enzo Maresca, but remains a work in progress. Chelsea are, after all, one of the youngest teams in the Premier League.
Signing Delap points to Chelsea’s strategy of targeting the best young players in the sport along with a 22-year-old. However, the costumes at Stamford Bridge require top-level centers to move forward to take the next step in development. Will Delap be that number next season?
Delap proved the value of the Ipswich Town team, who had not always served him. The young striker was even expected to lift the ball and run backwards to create his own opportunity with dribbling. Dellup is likened to Harry Kane, but he is a more powerful physical threat than the Bayern Munich striker.
Stockholm, Sweden – May 1: Chelsea’s Nicholas Jackson controls the ball during UEFA meeting … more
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Nicholas Jackson advanced Chelsea’s most productive center in the 2024/25 season, scoring 13 goals in all competitions. However, Senegal International missed a chunk of the campaign due to injury. Maresca needs a more reliable frontman to lead the line, not to mention more competition to take on the centre-forward role on his team.
It’s not clear whether Dellup will start before Jackson, but it can be argued that he has a higher ceiling than Chelsea’s current first-choice striker. Bruce linked the summer moves of Victor Osimen and Victor Gyoker, who might have clearly been ahead of Jackson, but Dellup’s signature suggests that Maresca will let them fight for their position.
The 2025/25 campaign was a positive campaign for Chelsea. Maresca instilled an owner-oriented style of play while taking advantage of several younger players from his team. On top of this, the Blues returned to the Champions League and won the trophy in the Conference League. Delap’s signatures could potentially drive them further.
