Chelsea have made the best possible start to backing their current manager following his excellent first season at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca won the Conference League in dominant fashion just three days after he led the club back to the Champions League with a top four finish.
After making it clear he was his number one target, Chelsea have secured the signing of Liam Delap as they look to address their goalscoring issues.
Delap will sign a six-year deal with the club, and will no doubt be confident that he can break into the starting squad ahead of Nicolas Jackson.
Despite the small transfer fee, there is plenty of excitement over what the Englishman can bring to the table at Stamford Bridge.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Chris Sutton fires warning to Enzo Maresca about Liam Delap
However, Chris Sutton believes the manager has a responsibility to set his team up to get the best out of Delap when he gets his Chelsea career underway.
He told the Mail Online: “I see Delap as an all-rounder; he’s shown why he can be a finisher, a link-up man and a big lump all in one package.
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
“I like that he mixes it up, sometimes playing with his back to goal and other times sprinting in behind, and how he can unleash clean strikes with both the left and right feet as defenders never know which avenue to show him down.
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“But once they have him, Chelsea need to make sure they play to his strengths.”
It remains to be seen if Delap fancies the challenge of the number nine curse in West London, a task Jackson refused the opportunity to take on.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Delap facing instant problem at Chelsea
Despite being the first big-name signing of the summer, there is already a chance that he will be facing newfound competition for his place in the side.
As well as Jackson still being at the club, Hugo Ekitike is strongly linked with a move to Stamford Bridge from Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Blues have reportedly agreed personal terms with Ekitike, and are looking to get the signing done before the Club World Cup in two weeks’ time.