Chelsea sought to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch when they splashed out £30m to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in the summer transfer window.
The England U21 international scored 12 goals in the Premier League for the Tractor Boys in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, and seemed to be an exciting addition to Enzo Maresca's squad.
Unfortunately, as shown in the graphic above, Delap has flopped for the Blues since his big-money move to Stamford Bridge, with no goal contributions so far.
Liam-Delap-Chelsea-PL-stats
The 22-year-old centre-forward is yet to prove that he has what it takes to lead the line as the main number nine for a team that is competing at the top end of the Premier League.
Chelsea eyeing move for new number nine
It is interesting, therefore, that a fresh report has emerged suggesting that the club are interested in adding another striker to their squad next month.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football365, Chelsea have sent scouts to watch Bologna centre-forward Santiago Castro ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.
The report claims that the Blues are one of a number of Premier League sides keeping tabs on the 21-year-old striker, with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa also keen on the attacker.
Bologna's Santiago Castro celebrates after the match
It adds that Chelsea have already made contact with the Bologna star's representatives to discuss a possible deal, in hope of laying the groundwork for a move to be officially completed in January.
Gazzetta dello Sport also reveals that the Serie A side want a fee of up to £44m to let go of their centre-forward, and it remains to be seen whether or not the Blues are prepared to pay that price.
Why Chelsea should sign Santiago Castro
The Club World Cup champions should push to get a deal over the line for Castro when the January transfer window officially opens for business because he could come in as a perfect replacement for Delap.
L. Delap
As aforementioned, it is not working out for the Englishman at Stamford Bridge and bringing in a new striker could allow the club to send the 22-year-old out on loan for the second half of the campaign, in the hope that he can regain his confidence in front of goal.
Whilst Delap has struggled in the 2025/26 campaign, Castro has caught the eye with his performances for Bologna in Italy, scoring a late winner in the Coppa Italia just a few weeks ago, as shown in the clip below.
The 21-year-old marksman, who is a year younger than Delap, has outperformed the Chelsea number nine at league level with his performances in the Serie A for Bologna so far this term.
25/26 season Delap (Premier League) Castro (Serie A)
Appearances 9 14
xG 0.82 2.78
Goals 0 4
Goals per game 0.0 0.3
Big chances created 0 2
Assists 0 1
Duels won per game 2.3 3.0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Argentine starlet has been directly involved in five goals in the Serie A, whilst outperforming his xG by 1.22 in 14 appearances.
Castro was described as a "complete no.9" and a "constant threat" by analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson at the time of his move to Bologna, which is backed up by his statistics in the Italian top-flight since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
santiago-castro
Last season, per Sofascore, the £44m-rated talent scored eight goals from 7.63 xG and provided four assists, whilst he won 3.5 duels per game for his side.
These statistics show that he has the quality to finish chances at an efficient rate, outperforming his xG this season and last term, on top of being a creator for his teammates and a strong duel winner in the centre-forward position.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca reacts
Whether or not he can translate those performances over to the Premier League remains to be seen, but his output in a Bologna shirt at the age of 21 suggests that he is an exciting and promising young number nine who could be an excellent addition to the squad.
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And, based on their respesctive statistics at league level in the 2025/26 campaign, Castro could come in as a perfect replacement for Delap, who could be sent out on loan as a result of a new striker coming through the door next month.