Chelsea and Manchester City are neck and neck in the Premier League. For one team it’s been a fairly decent season. But for the other it’s been a fairly disastrous one.
There’s no prizes for guessing which team will be happier with how their 2024/25 season has panned out thus far: Enzo Maresca in his first season at Stamford Bridge has performed much better than most expected with his Chelsea side sitting in 4th place of the Premier League table.
The Blues are a point and a place above Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who’ve had a dire season so far. City’s legs have simply gone, seemingly overnight, with the club’s previously sterling players having massively underperformed.
Hugo Viana will arrive at the Etihad as the club’s new director of football this summer. He’ll hopefully bring better times back to City starting with a summer clearout, with several Man City players up for sale, and a subsequent summer shopping spree with younger names and fresher legs on the agenda.
There’s been a host of names mentioned alongside possible summer moves to the Etihad with one being former City youngster Liam Delap.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
Chelsea put Liam Delap top of summer wishlist amid Manchester City links
Last summer, City sold academy graduate Delap to Ipswich Town in a deal worth £20million. Since, the 22-year-old has scored 10 in 28 Premier League games for the Tractor Boys who are staring at relegation from the top flight after just one season, and who face the high likelihood of losing Delap this summer.
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Delap has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs this season. Interestingly, it’s been speculated that Man City could re-sign Delap having inserted a buyback clause into the deal that saw him move to Portman Road, with the fee thought to be north of £30million. Reports have suggested Ipswich would charge up to £50million to sell Delap to another club.
But Chelsea are becoming particularly interested in Delap. Journalist Simon Phillips has recently revealed on Substack that Chelsea want Delap and Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres this summer, writing: “As I have said, the new striker profile will depend on Champions League qualification. But Gyokeres is up there at the top of our striker shortlist alongside Liam Delap and the Blues continue to watch him closely and have registered their interest.”
Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Ben Jacobs reveals Manchester City’s stance on signing Liam Delap
If Delap keeps on impressing then it might make sense for City to simply trigger this £30million buyback clause, as it could prove to be a bargain for the Cityzens.
But journalist Ben Jacobs say Man City currently have on plans to sign Delap ahead of the summer. Although Jacobs suggested that Guardiola’s side could yet change their mind with this buyback clause particularly useful.
Jacobs explained: “But he’s only going to improve. I would just add very briefly as well that Man City have got a buyback clause on Liam Delap. But at this stage, there’s no indication that they’re going to take it. But that could be an added wrinkle in all of this as well come the summer, that technically Manchester City can just buy the player back if he agrees.”
With Chelsea now looking like potential frontrunners in the race for Delap, it might prompt City to turn their attentions elsewhere, especially with Delap not exactly being a prime target anyway. If he keeps on scoring though then Pep might inevitably take a second look at the youngster.