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Chelsea are among a number of Premier League sides looking to sign a new striker this summer
Chelsea are sat in 5th place in the Premier League table with two fixtures left to play before the end of the season. The London club were beaten 2-0 away at Newcastle United last time out and saw Nicolas Jackson sent off in the North East. They remain in with a strong shout of getting back into the Champions League, however.
Enzo Maresca was picked as their manager just over 12 months ago and left Leicester City to take over at Stamford Bridge. Next up for the Blues is a home clash against Manchester United on Friday as they look to return to winning ways. They then face Nottingham Forest away on the final day before their Europa Conference League final against Real Betis at the end of the month in Wrocław, Poland.
Chelsea latest regarding Liam Delap interest
Chelsea have the chance to bring in some reinforcements this summer. They could look to add more quality to their ranks when the next window opens up. Maresca also has the opportunity to let some players leave to free up space and funds to pave the way for new arrivals, as the Blues look to prioritise the signing of both a striker and right-footed left winger.
According to talkSPORT, their target Liam Delap is leaning more towards a move to Manchester United at this moment in time. Ipswich Town signed him last year to boost their attacking department and he has stood out in a struggling team over recent times. The Tractor Boys are destined to lose him after their relegation back to the Championship, with £30m enough to trigger his release clause.
Delap, 22, has a bright future ahead of him in the game and won’t be short of suitors. He has scored 12 goals altogether this term in the league. The England youth international rose up through the ranks at Manchester City and went on to play six times for their first-team.
He was loaned out by Pep Guardiola to the English Football League to get some experience under his belt. The forward had temporary spells at Preston North End, Stoke City and Hull City to boost his development. He scored eight for the latter under their former head coach Liam Rosenior to earn a switch to Portman Road and he hasn’t looked back since.
Chelsea transfer alternative in the form of Hugo Ekitike
If Chelsea miss out on Delap to Manchester United, they would need to find a suitable alternative. Step forward Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike, who has some very similar attributes. He is very quick, strong, unorthodox, unpredictable and has an eye for goal.
He has caught the eye in Germany recently and is one of the most prolific players in the Bundesliga. The Frenchman, who is an Under-21 international, has fired 22 goals in all competitions this season, 15 of which have come in the league, and he is valued at £86.5million according to Sport Bild.
Ekitike joined his current club on an initial loan deal that was later made permanent. Frankfurt’s decision to snap him up has paid off massively and they will make a hefty profit when they do eventually cash in. They are set to face a major battle to keep him. If he joined Chelsea, he would give them more firepower at the top end of the pitch. He is still young, has bags of potential and would be a good long-term acquisition. In addition, he is an exciting talent who should test himself in England now for a new challenge.
The Reims-born man was on the books at PSG from 2022 until last year. Although it didn’t work out for him with the Ligue 1 giants, his time in Paris was still a massive learning curve for him. He will have benefited from that experience and it will have made him a better player now as he may feel he is proving a point. A big-money move to Chelsea and the Premier League could be exactly the right move for him this summer, and could see the Blues finally end their lengthy wait for a reliable goal-scoring striker.
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