Chelsea have, seemingly, been given a wake-up call in the race to sign Liam Delap. The Ipswich Town striker continues to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Enzo Maresca looks to bolster his front-line in the summer transfer window.
Delap, whose contract at Portman Road expires in June 2029, featured 37 times in the Premier League this season, scoring 12 goals and providing two assists. Despite the 22-year-old's best efforts, the Tractor Boys were relegated from the English top-flight.
Due to a release clause in his deal, Delap will be available for just £30m this summer. Unsurprisingly, the England Under-21 international has attracted lots of interest, with clubs up and down the table eager to secure his signature.
football.london understands that Chelsea are interested in Delap, who they've been keeping tabs on since he left Manchester City to join Kieran McKenna's team last summer. The Blues considered signing the youngster in January, but they knew any deal would be difficult to complete midway through the season.
Now, the west Londoners face tough competition from the likes of Manchester United. According to GiveMeSport journalist Ben Jacobs, Delap is expected to decide his future this week before heading off to the Under-21 European championships.
The report claims that Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton have all held talks with the striker. It's said that Delap remains the 'top choice' for Ruben Amorim, who will be desperate to transform the Red Devils' fortunes next season.
Jacobs has reported that United think that their pitch was strong - and they believe the Ipswich player is keen on a return to the north west. In an interview with Sky Sports on Saturday, McKenna revealed that Delap has been given permission to explore his options.
On the striker's future at Portman Road, the Ipswich boss said: "Liam's looking at his options for next year, which I think he's entitled to do, and we support him with that.
"So, yes, we've given him the permission to do that this week. It's a very important decision for his future.
"Of course, there's a lot of interest and rightly so.
"So that's been part of his week, he's been having some of those conversations. It looks, I think more likely than not, that he'll move on this summer. He has interest from pretty much every club in the league."
McKenna added: "I don't think there's many clubs in the world who wouldn't want to have him. So I think it's more likely than not that he'll move on. Of course, nothing's sorted, nothing's done or completed or even I think very, very, very close.
"That process will take its course. We'll, of course, be proud of the part that we've had in terms of Liam's development and his contribution this season. If he stays with us, then we'll be delighted.
"If he does move on this summer, then it will be a positive sign for the club, a positive step for the club, to have developed and sold a player at that sort of level. Hopefully it will be a good move for him."
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Chelsea flag prior the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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