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Chelsea ask Liam Delap to put Club World Cup ahead of England

Chelsea will ask Liam Delap to put the Club World Cup ahead of England in another club-against-country row this summer.

Delap is close to reuniting with Enzo Maresca after his £30 million release clause at Ipswich Town was met, but has also been preparing for the Under-21 Euros in Slovakia, where Lee Carsley’s side will defend their title.

While Delap, 22, is desperate to play for England, Chelsea sources are expecting the club to request for him to be released – should he complete his move to Stamford Bridge – for Fifa’s expanded club competition starting on June 14.

Delap was in the frame to start for Carsley in England’s opener against Czech Republic on June 12, with further group-stage matches against Slovenia and Germany.

The Club World Cup in the United States, which will feature Lionel Messi, has priority over internationals and reflects the importance of the Fifa event, as historically precedence has been the other way around.

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, questioned who pays the players’ salaries when the Football Association requested Rico Lewis and James McAtee for the under-21 tournament, which overlaps with City’s participation in the Club World Cup.

Neither were included in the original preparation camp for the finals, with McAtee now called into Carsley’s squad but no agreement on Lewis.

Having won the 2022 European Under-19 Championship, also held in Slovakia, Delap had set his sights on another winners’ medal after his breakthrough season in the Premier League.

He scored 12 goals during his rookie campaign in the top flight, with a number of clubs chasing his signature for his low release clause. Manchester United also wanted Delap, among others, but his preference was for Chelsea and working with Maresca, who had known from his time at Manchester City’s academy.

Personal terms still need to be agreed for the deal to go ahead, with a medical scheduled for Monday if all negotiations go smoothly.

Delap’s deal would start a busy summer in the striker market, with the Etihad graduate seen as offering attributes that other strikers of his age do not have. Dean Holden, who scouted Delap for Stoke City before a loan at the Bet365 Stadium, saw he was unlike other academy forwards.

“You can’t compare anyone to [Alan] Shearer, but you can say that Liam isn’t like your academy No 10-type forward who comes short for the ball. He wants to win at all costs,” Holden said.

Chelsea also have Reece James, Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke called up to Thomas Tuchel’s senior squad, with a friendly against Senegal on June 10 coming six days before Maresca’s team have their tournament opener.

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