England Under-21 international, just scored 12 goals for a relegated Premier League side, a throwback striker possessing rare attributes at a time when so many top clubs are searching for a striker solution...
What would Liam Delap be worth in an open market right now? Sadly, for Ipswich Town, that's a moot point.
The Blues signed him from Manchester City for £15m last summer, the deal having potential to reach £20m. He'll soon join Chelsea for £30m after a relegation clause was triggered. And Ipswich will have to give some of their £10-15m profit - reportedly 30% - to City as part of a sell-on clause.
Making between £7m-10.5m profit on a player inside 12 months is not to be sniffed at. It's hard not to think about how much more could have been banked though.
However, as Town chairman Mark Ashton is keen to stress, there really wasn't an alternative.
"I never speak about any player’s individual position, because I’d be breaking every confidentially rule in the book, but I'm going to give you a context to this," he says, in an exclusive interview with the EADT and Ipswich Star.
Liam Delap scored 12 goals for Ipswich Town in an impressive debut campaign.Liam Delap scored 12 goals for Ipswich Town in an impressive debut campaign. (Image: Ross Halls)
"Let's be really clear, when you are signing players from a Premier League football club as a newly-promoted Premier League football club, young or old, they're very nervous about being stuck in a Championship club. Because the stats show that newly promoted clubs often go straight back down. So the contracts are always heavily negotiated.
"The reality is that when there’s a high profile player who is wanted by several clubs you get presented with a term sheet – ‘those are the terms for the club’ and ‘those are the terms for the player’.
"You're told, 'If you want to talk to the player and give your pitch to sign him you have to agree to those terms because if you don't then there are six other clubs who will agree'. We speak to other clubs, we know the market, so we know that that's not lies.
"So there is very little to negotiate. You're taking it or you're leaving it.
"At that point, our relations allow us to nibble around the edges of those agreements, to bend and twist them, so we get the best version of it.
"That’s just fact. That’s just the reality of where you are. You've gone from being a big fish in a small to medium pond, to being a big fish in the Atlantic Ocean."
Liam Delap looks set to be reunited with his former Man City youth coach, Enzo Maresca, at Chelsea. The Europa Conference League winners are preparing for the Club World Cup and, next season, Champions League football.Liam Delap looks set to be reunited with his former Man City youth coach, Enzo Maresca, at Chelsea. The Europa Conference League winners are preparing for the Club World Cup and, next season, Champions League football. (Image: PA)
Back in March, Ashton insisted the club was 'very, very, very well protected' when quizzed about clauses in Delap's contract. It was only subsequently that the £30m relegation release clause was reported nationally.
Asked to clarify that comment, he said: "You protect yourself to the best of your ability.
"The board and major shareholders all know what you're getting into. That means, at that point in time, you are going to break the record purchase for the football club and if you sell that player you're going to break the record sales for the football club.
"And also – remember, I'm not talking about any specific player – when that player moves on you retain a percentage of his future profit as well. You’re protected.
"With all our players we know where we are with them. The ownership know where the cash flows are with them. You have to look at it with an investment bank-like view across the board.
Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says it was a case of 'take it or leave it' when it came to the relegation release clause in Liam Delap's contract.Ipswich Town chairman Mark Ashton says it was a case of 'take it or leave it' when it came to the relegation release clause in Liam Delap's contract. (Image: PA)
"As I said, I think a couple of players will leave the club this summer - not huge, not handfuls. One (Delap) has been very heavily publicised, hasn't been publicised by us. I think if I was an Ipswich fan I'd be frustrated at the amount of times that's been in the press, but when things are in the press, particularly the nationals, they're in there for a reason and that will be agents or other clubs trying to unsettle players, trying to build markets for players etc.
"So all I can say to the fan base is we have been as open and honest as we can be since we joined this football club. Every decision we make is in the best interest of this football club, but we have to deal with the market as it is. This football club is always protected moving forward."
So, just to clarify, does that mean that Ipswich would benefit from a significant sell-on fee if Delap goes on to make a mega money move further down the line?
"Again, I'm going to take the word ‘Liam’ out of it because I'll get myself into world of trouble," replies Ashton. "But that would be a standard clause that we would negotiate into deals.
"We're not perfect, let's be really clear, but we do know what we're doing. It's frustrating because you can't tell the fan base everything. If they knew everything, trust me, they would look at it very differently.
"But this fan base again have been very trusting, very supportive and we will fight tooth and nail for this football club."
A young Ipswich fan pictured wearing a replica Liam Delap shirt. The striker will depart after just one season at the club.A young Ipswich fan pictured wearing a replica Liam Delap shirt. The striker will depart after just one season at the club. (Image: PA)