Hull City v Chelsea - Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round
Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior (Picture: Getty)
Emile Heskey believes that Chelsea would be wise to sell Liam Delap in the summer, despite the striker only joining eight months ago under Enzo Maresca.
Delap turned down an approach from Manchester United to sign for Chelsea for £30million last summer, but has endured a difficult start to life at Stamford Bridge.
The English striker has scored two goals in 21 appearances in all competitions, with injuries and the form of Joao Pedro limiting his game time even further this season.
And while Delap previously thrived under Liam Rosenior at Hull, the new Chelsea boss has yet to revitalise the 23-year-old’s fortunes since his arrival at Stamford Bridge.
Nicolas Jackson’s impending return from an unsuccessful loan spell at Bayern Munich will provide further competition for minutes, while the Blues have also been linked with an audacious bid for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.
And former Liverpool and England striker Heskey believes it would be in Dekap’s best interests to find a new home next summer to ensure he gets regular minutes to continue his development.
‘Liam Delap is still a player for the future,’ Heskey told OLBG. ‘He has time and you’ve got to really assess everything that is going on.
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Liam Delap has scored one league goal for Chelsea this season (Picture: Getty)
‘What sort of footballer are they playing, first and foremost? Does it suit you and the way you play? Can you challenge whoever is the main number nine? Can you challenge them and cement yourself in their place?
‘You don’t want to be a bit part of anything, especially at that sort of age. You want to forge on with your career.
‘He was at Ipswich Town and he got a little bit of a boost from playing there, playing regularly, and actually doing really well for them and securing those accolades last season.
‘Now he’s a bit-part player and that probably doesn’t suit him. I don’t think being a bit-part player suits anyone, to be honest with you.
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Delap was signed by Enzo Maresca last summer (Picture: Getty)
‘You want to build up your consistency but I think he’s a fantastic player. He probably needs to work on his hold-up play, being that one that no one wants to play against, and getting a bit of a reputation for being that kind of player.’
Asked to pick out the perfect next destination, Heskey urged Delap to consider a return to Ipswich, but warned about the potential pitfalls of a move to United, who were interested in his services last summer.
‘I think returning to Ipswich Town would be a good option if they come up next season because the fans know him, he knows the club, and he’ll be given time to get back to his best self,’ Heskey added.
‘Liam Delap to Manchester United? Again, you don’t want to be a bit [part player], and that’s the tough one especially when you’re a younger one. You want to actually play and then move when you’re established.’
Rosenior, meanwhile, appears to have no desire to et Delap leave the club, and backed the young striker to only get better next season.
‘If you look at most players’ careers, after they have joined a club, it’s the second season they really take off,’ the Chelsea head coach recently said.
‘For Liam, he’s had some really, really good performances, but also his rhythm has been interrupted by injury. I’m really happy with Joao and really happy with Liam.’
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