Chelsea
Things are looking tough for Liam Delap this summer. The Chelsea striker won’t be wearing the no. 9 shirt this summer. He will also train separately from the rest of the team, as per latest news.
Liam loses his No. 9 shirt as future remains unclear
The 23-year-old Delap will be training in a separate camp from the main Chelsea team, as reported by BBCSport. He will also not be wearing the no. 9 shirt in the next season. Instead of him, Joao Pedro will be wearing this shirt during the 2026-27 season. Everton is leading the race for a potential transfer deal. Apart from Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United are also interested in Delap.
Delap joined Chelsea last year. However, he couldn’t perform up to the team’s expectations. Before joining Chelsea, he was part of Ipswich Town for the 2024-25 season. Previously, he was part of Manchester City, where he played for the club between 2020 and 2024. In between, he also played for Stoke City, Preston North End, and Hull City under different loan spells.
Delap’s stats for the 2025-26 season at Chelsea, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Goals Assists
Premier League 28 1 0
FA Cup 6 3 0
EFL Cup 2 0 0
UEFA Champions League 5 1 0
FIFA Club World Cup 6 1 1
Will Delap stay at Chelsea?
Although chances are unlikely, there has been no official confirmation about Delap’s transfer yet. So there is a rare chance that he might be retained for the 2026-27 season. Apart from that, playing in a different camp does not mean that Delap is available for a transfer.
Delap was signed by Chelsea with the hope that he will continue to create the same magic as he did at the Etihad Stadium [home ground for Manchester City]. However, things didn’t go as per plan, and he managed to score just one goal in 28 Premier League matches.
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What’s next for Liam Delap?
Delap is currently warming up for the next season. He has a decent record in terms of disciplinary issues. However, he needs to improve on his fitness. A major reason why he didn’t perform up to his potential were his frequent injuries. Delap got a hamstring injury in September last year, which kept him out of action for two weeks. The Chelsea striker had barely returned to the ground, when he suffered a dislocated shoulder in December 2025. He was forced to sit out for a few more weeks. If he needs to become big in club football, he needs to work hard on his fitness.
Chelsea have had a roller coaster ride last season. They didn’t perform well in the Premier League, and finished in the 10th place. Apart from that, the club also witnessed unstable management in the latter half of the 2025-26 season. However, the Blues made up for it with the FIFA Club World Cup title and by reaching the FA Cup final. Now with Xabi Alonso as the new team manager, the Blues are hopeful of a much better performance. They want to end the decade old Premier League title drought.
If Liam Delap somehow manages to retain his place this summer, he must improve on his performance. He knows it is make or break this summer. However, if he is himself intent on moving out, then nobody can force him to stay at Stamford Bridge for long. It remains to be seen which club he eventually chooses for the next season.
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