Liam Delap is thought to be keen on fighting for his place at Chelsea amid reported Newcastle United interest.
Newcastle United have reportedly shortlisted Liam Delap as a potential striker target this summer.
Eddie Howe was a big admirer of the 23-year-old a year ago following Ipswich Town’s relegation. Delap scored 12 goals in a poor Tractor Boys outfit and had a £30million release clause.
Newcastle identified the Manchester City academy product as a potential target, with Callum Wilson set to leave and Alexander Isak - although not publicly known at the time - angling for an exit. However, Chelsea soon stormed ahead of the Magpies in the race - dealing Howe one of his first blows in the window.
A brutal summer ensued, with the Blues also gazumping Newcastle to sign Joao Pedro. Toon chiefs failed in further attempts to sign Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko before buying Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa to fill the void up front.
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Liam Delap’s demise at Chelsea
A mixture of poor form and injuries has resulted in a frustrating season for Delap at Chelsea. He has only completed 90 minutes for the Blues three times, scoring one goal in 26 Premier League appearances.
Pedro, on the other hand, has proven to be a hit. There have already been suggestions that Chelsea could offload Delap this summer - with Newcastle on red alert.
But while the Daily Mail report that the Magpies remain interested in Delap, the player wants to stay and fight for his place at Stamford Bridge. It is understood that Newcastle are in the market for a striker as Woltemade and Wissa have both underwhelmed - making this one to watch in the coming months.
Eddie Howe rues 2025 summer
Speaking last month, Howe opened up about the impact of PSR restrictions, Isak’s exit and the 2025 summer overall. He said: "The rules have made it very difficult to have momentum to go with the speed it (the club) initially went with. I don't know a way we can beat that system.
“We have to follow the rules that are set. The club desperately want to be ambitious but there is a limit to what we can spend. That has a knock-on effect on everything we do. To not recruit for that many windows, I don't know a team that would not suffer from that.
“We certainly have, and then losing Alexander Isak last summer was a considerable blow. But again we can't feel sorry for ourselves and use excuses. We have to find a way to be successful despite all of those things. But with that there has to be an understanding of the type of conditions we are under."
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