For many years, it has been believed that Chelsea's number nine shirt has been cursed. The players who have worn it in recent times, no matter how prolific they had previously been, did not live up to their potential.
Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea's current number one striker, opted against taking this shirt number when he signed from Villarreal in the summer of 2023.
After two seasons without being used, the number nine shirt has once again got an occupier in Liam Delap - Chelsea's latest attempt to sign a regular goalscorer.
The Englishman, who scored 12 goals in the 24/25 Premier League season, will be hoping to put an end to a curse that has spanned over multiple eras at Stamford Bridge.
It will be interesting to see if Delap can become that talisman that the Blues so desperately need to get them challenging for titles once again.
Recent examples of the number nine curse
Romelu Lukaku
Perhaps the most notorious due to his hefty £97.5m transfer fee, Lukaku is the most recent example of failure whilst wearing the number nine.
The Belgian did not start badly for the Blues, scoring on his debut against Arsenal before following that performance up with a brace against Aston Villa.
A controversial interview at the halfway point of the season led to him being dropped for the team's next game against Liverpool.
This is the moment that the Belgian could never recover from, as he ended the season with 15 goals in all competitions and ultimately could not live up to the transfer fee that was paid for him.
Álvaro Morata
The Spaniard, who was signed from Real Madrid for £60m (A club record at the time), was another victim of the number nine curse.
Morata managed 24 goals in his 72 appearances in a Chelsea shirt before leaving for a return to Spain as he joined Atletico Madrid.
His most infamous moment was his miss against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, where he blasted his effort far above the open goal that sat just in front of him.
Chelsea sent him out on loan to Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window of the 18/19 season. It was soon made a permanent move in the summer as another chapter of Chelsea's striker problems came to a close.
Can Delap break the Curse?
Delap impressed many throughout his first season in the Premier League with Ipswich Town.
His ability to cause unease within the opposition's defence alongside his willingness to run at a backline is exactly what Enzo Maresca's Chelsea need, as it suits their style of play.
His hold-up play is another feature of his game that has been highlighted by fans and pundits over the course of the year.
12 goals in his debut season is a strong number, and with the service of Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernandez next season, there is certainly the opportunity for the Englishman to improve on this number.
The striker registered an xG of 9.34 last season, which shows how clinical he was for the Tractor Boys during his time there.
Chelsea have been searching for a regular goalscorer that they can rely on for many years. Will Delap finally be that player? The only thing to do now is wait in anticipation for his debut at the Club World Cup.