Sunderland have been credited with an interest in Chelsea striker Liam Delap.
Sunderland are one of several Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Chelsea striker Liam Delap, with the 23-year-old effectively playing for his future at Stamford Bridge during the second half of the season, according to reports.
The forward signed for the Blues from Ipswich Town in a deal worth around £30 million last summer, but has struggled to make a consistent impact at the point of attack since his arrival in West London. At the time of writing, he has scored just two goals and assisted one more across 22 outings in all competitions this term.
And with Chelsea now under the management of Liam Rosenior, online outlet TEAMtalk suggest that Delap is essentially looking to convince his new head coach of his worth over the coming months.
Fellow summer signing Joao Pedro has caught the eye for Chelsea in recent times, while the Blues are also set to welcome Dutch talent Emmanuel Emegha - who played under Rosenior for Strasbourg - to their ranks at the end of the campaign. Elsewhere, reports have emerged suggesting that the Champions League outfit could look to reignite their mooted interest in FC Porto star Samu Aghehowa when the transfer market reopens.
And all of this is said to be contributing to a sense that Delap now finds himself in an increasingly precarious position at Stamford Bridge. To that end, however, TEAMtalk claims that the striker would not be short on potential destinations if Chelsea do take the decision to move him on in the summer.
As per a fresh update, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Everton all “pushed hard” for Delap’s signature prior to his exit from Ipswich, and all three clubs are still understood to be monitoring his situation closely. Meanwhile, two new suitors, Sunderland and Brighton and Hove Albion, have reportedly entered the fray too.
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What is Sunderland’s current striker situation?
As things stand, Sunderland are relatively well-stocked in attack. Summer arrival Brian Brobbey has established himself as Regis Le Bris’ de facto first choice through the middle in recent weeks, and is currently the Black Cats’ top scorer this season, with five goals.
Behind the Dutchman, Wilson Isidor has four strikes to his name this term, but hasn’t found the back of the net since late October, and was linked with a potential exit during the January transfer window amid suggestions that he has grown frustrated with a lack of consistent opportunities on Wearside.
Elsewhere, promising talent Eliezer Mayenda started the campaign as Le Bris’ preferred option up front, but dropped out of the first XI after a handful of appearances, and has largely had to settled for a reduced role in the period since.
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