Ipswich striker Liam Delap reportedly had three reasons for turning down Manchester United in favour of Chelsea. The Blues are frontrunners to land the England Under-21 international, with other interested parties informed that they are set to miss out. A £30million transfer is thought to be close to completion after his relegation release clause was activated.
United’s interest in Delap was no secret, having courted the striker along with several other Premier League teams. The prospect of signing a promising English forward for a bargain £30m would be seen as a market opportunity, especially after Rasmus Hojlund’s miserable campaign.
However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano claims that Chelsea have won the race for Delap and an agreement is in place. Manchester City are not using their buy-back clause and the 22-year-old has accepted Chelsea’s project.
He has given three reasons as to why Delap chose Chelsea rather than United. The first is the prospect of a long-term contract, which has been a trend since Todd Boehly and co took over at Stamford Bridge.
Nine-year contracts have been awarded in the past and although amortisation rules have been tweaked to outlaw a loophole allowing clubs to pay fees over those nine years, Chelsea have still been keen to tie down their newcomers long term.
Enzo Maresca’s influence is thought to have played a key role in Delap’s decision. He has worked with the Blues boss previously, while at Manchester City’s academy, and the Italian lauded Delap ahead of their meeting in April.
"In terms of numbers, he’s doing fantastic,” Maresca said of Delap. “It’s not just in terms of his numbers. The way he plays and fights and is always ‘there’. But he’s an Ipswich player.
"He’s an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future."
The third, and perhaps most important reason for Delap to snub United for Chelsea, is the promise of Champions League football.
Chelsea qualified through their fourth-placed Premier League finish and United had the opportunity to join them, but Tottenham snatched up that opportunity by defeating Ruben Amorim’s side in the Europa League final.
It remains to be seen whether Delap or Nicolas Jackson will be viewed as Maresca’s first-choice striker, or if another top target joins in that area, with Hugo Ekitike also linked, but the allure of playing in Europe’s top club competition is proving irresistible.
United, meanwhile, are not in Europe at all next season after a 15th-placed finish in the league, with much work ahead that Delap is less interested in being part of.