Former Chelsea star Shaun Wright-Phillips once delivered an interesting verdict on Liam Delap when he was a youngster.
The Blues paid £30m in the summer to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town. In fairness, it looks like a shrewd piece of business for a centre-forward who scored 12 Premier League goals last season for a relegated team.
After joining Enzo Maresca’s side in June, he immediately helped them win the Club World Cup this summer.
The 22-year-old striker does have experience at a major club because he was on Manchester City’s books between 2019 and 2024. He was clinical for Man City’s youth teams and made six first-team appearances at the Etihad Stadium, but he’s earned his move to Stamford Bridge off the back of his development elsewhere.
Club Appearances Goals
Ipswich Town 40 12
Hull City 32 8
Stoke City 23 3
Preston North End 15 1
Chelsea 9 1
Manchester City 6 1
Liam Delap’s record in senior football
Liam Delap playing for Manchester City against Southampton in the Premier League 2.
Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus/Getty Images
Shaun Wright-Phillips was aware of Delap as a young talent with Man City. When he was 18, he even made the fascinating suggestion that the Englishman could be the long-term solution for Pep Guardiola’s team.
Speaking in September 2021, Wright-Phillips told GOAL: “You never know with Pep [Guardiola] and what he wants to do in terms of his transfer targets, but they do have a young lad doing really well at the club currently in Liam Delap.
“He’s been impressive so far and you never know he could get his chance and do whatever he needs to do to stop City going out and buying a striker for big money.”
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Of course, Man City did find the eventual successor to Sergio Aguero by signing Erling Haaland in 2022. He’s since scored 136 goals in 155 appearances across all competitions.
It has been fascinating that Delap ended up working his way back to an elite club.
Gary Lineker’s prediction on Delap is that he’s got what it takes to be a success as Chelsea’s striker. Even though he arrived at the club in the summer as a conventional number nine, he does have stiff competition from teammate Joao Pedro to lead the line.
Liam Delap playing for Manchester City against West Ham United in the Premier League 2.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Liam Delap’s injury blow
Of course, it’s mega frustrating for Delap that he’s currently sidelined for a spell with a hamstring injury.
Delap’s injury is expected to keep him out until late November, which puts a lot of pressure on the rest of the squad.
Brazilian frontman Pedro is the main option as the central striker, even if he naturally likes to drop deep for the ball. Alternatively, Marc Guiu should get more minutes after returning from a loan at Sunderland because he’s a natural centre-forward who’s more in a similar mould to Delap.