Liam DelapLiam Delap
Liam Delap | Getty Images
Man United, Everton, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest have all been linked with the striker
Former Preston North End loan striker Liam Delap is reportedly closing in on a move to Chelsea.
Delap, 22, joined Ipswich Town last summer in a deal rising to £20m and scored 12 goals in the Premier League for the relegated Tractor Boys. His individual contribution for Kieran McKenna’s side has sparked continuous speculation around his future, with a whole host of top flight clubs - including Manchester United - strongly linked.
Jamie Carragher and Gary Nevilleboth recently weighed inon the links to United - the Liverpool legend does not believe it’s the right move at this stage of Delap’s career. He is seemingly set to join one of the Premier League heavyweights, though, with latest reports suggesting that the striker has chosen to join Chelsea.
The lure of Champions League football is said to be a key factor behind that decision, while Delap worked with head coach Enzo Maresca at Manchester City. Last week, Ipswich boss McKenna explainedthat Delap was looking at his options for the 2025/26 season and had been given permission to speak to clubs.
“Of course there is a lot of interest - and rightly so,” said McKenna. “I think part of his week has been having some of those conversations. It looks more likely than not that he will move on this summer and he has interest from pretty much every club in the league, and I don't think there are many clubs in the world who wouldn't want to have him.”
Delap had three loan spells in the Championship before his move to Ipswich. The second of those was with Preston, for whom the front man scored one goal in 15 games. Delap had spent the first half of that 2022/23 season at Stoke City. He moved to Hull City for the full 2023/24 campaign and netted eight league goals under Liam Rosenior.
John Terry quizzed on Liam Delap links
“Firstly, I think Nico (Jackson) has been really good and when I watch him play, he’s one of a handful of strikers in the league who wants to play on the shoulder,”said Terry, when asked if he is an admirer of Delap. Playing against that as a defender is a nightmare because it kind of stretches you and opens up that space in the midfield.
“So I like Nico... he’s probably not been as clinical as we would like as Chelsea fans. But I think if you’re looking to go to that next step, you need to bring in someone who is proven, who has done it, who has scored goals in the Premier League. That tends to be an experienced player.
“The owners are quite clear they’re not going to go down that route. They don’t want to bring in someone of 29, 30 years of age on big money. It’s going to be a different model and a different mindset. “I don’t think we’ll go down that route but I, personally, feel we do need that.”
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