Newcastle United FC v Ipswich Town FC - Premier League
Chelsea are set to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town (Picture: Getty)
Chelsea have been told they should have signed another Manchester United target instead of Liam Delap to solve their striker woes.
Enzo Maresca is set to welcome Delap to Stamford Bridge after Chelsea triggered his £30m Ipswich Town release clause.
A number of Premier League clubs expressed interest in signing Delap after an encouraging season in which he scored 12 goals for the relegated Tractor Boys.
But Chelsea have won the race, with the England U21 star currently undergoing a medical at the club and set to compete with Nicolas Jackson for a place in the team.
Chelsea’s need for a new striker was evident throughout the 2024-25 campaign as Jackson struggled with form and fitness and Christopher Nkunku endured a dismal campaign.
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But ex-Chelsea stars Frank Leboeuf and William Gallas fear their former club picked the wrong striker and instead should have signed Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen, who came close to joining Chelsea last summer, scored 37 goals in 41 appearances during his loan spell at Galatasaray. He also boasted a superb record for Napoli before being exiled by Antonio Conte.
Chelsea Training and Press Conference
Enzo Maresca sanctioned Chelsea’s move for Delap (Picture: Getty)
The Nigeria striker is available to sign for around £64m this summer and appears to be on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabia after being overlooked by Premier League clubs.
Asked whether he was excited by the arrival of Delap at Chelsea, Leboeuf told ESPN: ‘I am, I am.
‘I don’t know what’s going to happen with him but we need a striker, we desperately need a striker.
‘He’s a great, great player. Will he fit into Enzo Maresca’s system? Hopefully yes. He had a very good season. But I like Osimhen.’
Galatasaray v RAMS Basaksehir - Turkish Super Lig
Victor Osimhen is one of the most prolific strikers in Europe (Picture: Getty)
Gallas, meanwhile, told Prime Casino: ‘Chelsea have been linked with a lot of different strikers. You’ve got the boy Liam Delap, he’s had a great debut season in the Premier League and he has a big future.
‘Other names like [Viktor] Gyokeres and [Benjamin] Sesko have been putting in good performances for their respective clubs on the continent.
‘But I would be signing Osimhen, all day long, everyday, twice on Sunday! I know what he can do, I know what he can bring to the Chelsea squad.
‘I think he’d be perfect for the wingers there, because they aren’t the kind that just send in crosses. They come inside and shoot, or look for a pass.
‘If you play with a substandard striker, then inverted wingers take more chances to shoot for themselves, or take up the space that you’d expect a striker to be in.
‘That’s why I think Osimhen is perfect for them, he can be a leader, and a real presence in attack.’
Maresca will hope a productive summer transfer window helps Chelsea compete for major trophies next season.
The Blues finished fourth last season, successfully qualifying for the Champions League while winning the Conference League.
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