𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋: Chelsea have completed the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, on a contract until June 2031. 🤝
An England Under-21 international, Delap struck 12 times in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign and was shortlisted for the Young Player of the Year award.
🗣️On joining Chelsea:
“I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach. It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.”
Delap started his career in Derby County’s academy before joining Manchester City in 2019. After a season with the club’s Under-18s, he stepped up to the Elite Development Squad, where he played under current Blues head coach Enzo Maresca.
The striker enjoyed a standout campaign. He netted 24 goals in 20 Premier League 2 matches, scored on his debut for City’s senior side in the League Cup, and was handed his first top-flight appearance against Leicester City.
Further first-team appearances followed during the 2021/22 season before he embarked on loan spells at Stoke City and Preston North End.
Delap spent the 2023/24 season with Hull City and, after scoring eight goals, secured a move to newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
[chelseafc]
#CFC #Chelsea #ChelseaFC
An England Under-21 international, Delap struck 12 times in the Premier League during the 2024/25 campaign and was shortlisted for the Young Player of the Year award.
🗣️On joining Chelsea:
“I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach. It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.”
Delap started his career in Derby County’s academy before joining Manchester City in 2019. After a season with the club’s Under-18s, he stepped up to the Elite Development Squad, where he played under current Blues head coach Enzo Maresca.
The striker enjoyed a standout campaign. He netted 24 goals in 20 Premier League 2 matches, scored on his debut for City’s senior side in the League Cup, and was handed his first top-flight appearance against Leicester City.
Further first-team appearances followed during the 2021/22 season before he embarked on loan spells at Stoke City and Preston North End.
Delap spent the 2023/24 season with Hull City and, after scoring eight goals, secured a move to newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
[chelseafc]
#CFC #Chelsea #ChelseaFC
🔎 How Chelsea won the race for Liam Delap ahead of Premier League and European rivals - via The Athletic:
Chelsea first made contact with Delap in January, some time ahead of most other interested parties.
The ‘top tier’ teams — which is to say, the teams that were most likely to sign him, including Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United — held meetings face-to-face, while those who were keen but considered further down the list spoke to him on Zoom.
But the Chelsea move wasn’t the fait accompli that some thought, and he genuinely did not definitively make up his mind until last week.
But for all the other interest, most strongly from United, Chelsea were always confident for a range of reasons.
They have a good relationship with Ipswich, partly from last summer when Omari Hutchinson’s loan was turned into a permanent move.
Delap already has some ties to key figures at Chelsea. Head coach Enzo Maresca has known Delap since he was 16 and their time together at Manchester City, when he was coach of their Elite Development Squad (their under-23s, essentially).
He was signed by City from Derby County’s youth system in 2019 by Joe Shields, who at the time was City’s head of academy recruitment but is now Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment. Another familiar face from City, their former head of academy coaching, Glenn van der Kraan, is also now at Chelsea in a similar role. Andrew Cousins was the director of professional football and scouting at Stoke and brought Delap in on loan — he is now head of scouting at Chelsea. Justin Walker and Liam Rosenior, who both worked with him at Hull City, are with BlueCo sister club Strasbourg. And Walker coached Delap in Derby’s academy.
He is also not walking into an entirely alien environment, with several on-pitch connections from his days at City: being coached by Maresca there is one, but he’s also good friends with Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer, combining well with the latter a number of times for City’s EDS.
The Palmer connection is not just a case of him wanting to play with his mates. The fact that Delap has an existing on-pitch relationship with Chelsea’s key creative force was attractive.
Chelsea first made contact with Delap in January, some time ahead of most other interested parties.
The ‘top tier’ teams — which is to say, the teams that were most likely to sign him, including Chelsea, Newcastle and Manchester United — held meetings face-to-face, while those who were keen but considered further down the list spoke to him on Zoom.
But the Chelsea move wasn’t the fait accompli that some thought, and he genuinely did not definitively make up his mind until last week.
But for all the other interest, most strongly from United, Chelsea were always confident for a range of reasons.
They have a good relationship with Ipswich, partly from last summer when Omari Hutchinson’s loan was turned into a permanent move.
Delap already has some ties to key figures at Chelsea. Head coach Enzo Maresca has known Delap since he was 16 and their time together at Manchester City, when he was coach of their Elite Development Squad (their under-23s, essentially).
He was signed by City from Derby County’s youth system in 2019 by Joe Shields, who at the time was City’s head of academy recruitment but is now Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment. Another familiar face from City, their former head of academy coaching, Glenn van der Kraan, is also now at Chelsea in a similar role. Andrew Cousins was the director of professional football and scouting at Stoke and brought Delap in on loan — he is now head of scouting at Chelsea. Justin Walker and Liam Rosenior, who both worked with him at Hull City, are with BlueCo sister club Strasbourg. And Walker coached Delap in Derby’s academy.
He is also not walking into an entirely alien environment, with several on-pitch connections from his days at City: being coached by Maresca there is one, but he’s also good friends with Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer, combining well with the latter a number of times for City’s EDS.
The Palmer connection is not just a case of him wanting to play with his mates. The fact that Delap has an existing on-pitch relationship with Chelsea’s key creative force was attractive.
Chelsea will pay £20 million of Liam Delap’s £30 million release clause up front and the rest in instalments.
Ipswich Town will also hold a sell-on clause as part of the deal.
[The Athletic]
#CFC #Chelsea #ChelseaFC
Ipswich Town will also hold a sell-on clause as part of the deal.
[The Athletic]
#CFC #Chelsea #ChelseaFC
🎙️CARLO ANCELOTTI:
“I can’t tell Estêvão how to dribble, he knows that better than me. What I can tell him is to work hard defensively to help the team & when he has the ball to use the creativity that he has.” 🇧🇷💫
“I can’t tell Estêvão how to dribble, he knows that better than me. What I can tell him is to work hard defensively to help the team & when he has the ball to use the creativity that he has.” 🇧🇷💫