Chelsea are prepared to let Liam Delap leave Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window amid growing interest from Premier League rivals. The 23-year-old has endured a difficult season since joining from Ipswich Town last summer with just two goals to his name after 25 appearances in all competitions. Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that after his performance against Hull City in the FA Cup, doubts about Delap‘s future at Chelsea have grown.
“I think Chelsea will be open to letting Delap leave,” Brown told Football Insider. “He hasn’t impressed as much as they hoped he might when they signed him from Ipswich, and I was surprised he went there in the first place, to be honest. I watched Chelsea against Hull, my old club, in the FA Cup and was disappointed with Delap. Normally when you watch him, you know roughly what you’re going to get. He’s aggressive, competitive, likes to battle for the ball and bully defenders.
“But his performance didn’t look like one of a young, hungry, aggressive striker looking to prove himself and cement his place in the team. He was wasteful with his opportunities in front of goal, and it was left again to Pedro Neto to do the business in that department. For a team like Chelsea, who are going to have ambitions of winning silverware, I think you need a striker who is going to be a regular source of goals. Delap hasn’t done anything yet to show me that’s who he is going to be, so I’m sure they’ll be looking at other options and that might mean they let him go if a big offer comes in.”