Chelsea announced the signing of striker Liam Delap, 22, who moved to Chelsea from Ipswich Town. The London club paid around £30 million and signed him until June 30, 2031. Chelsea registered Delap on their roster ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup already.
The signing was announced several days before Chelsea played their first match in the competition, which was against Los Angeles FC on June 16. The Blues announced the signing irrespective of Ipswich being relegated in the Premier League campaign.
Past season statistics
Delap played 40 times for Ipswich Town in the 2024/25 campaign, netting 12 times and picking out two assists across competitions. Despite his personal performance, the club was bottom of the Premier League table on 22 points gathered in 38 games and was relegated. Nevertheless, Delap was included on the shortlist for the Young Player of the Year, which means he earned personal honors in spite of the team's bad results.
The player rose through the youth levels of Derby County and then Manchester City before signing with Ipswich. He was coached while at City by Blues' head coach Enzo Maresca
Competition and history of signing
Chelsea beat other English clubs to sign him, among them Everton, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United, The Guardian reports. Chelsea signed him only weeks before the Club World Cup, and the club was in a hurry to have him registered in time for the competition. The transfer resulted in Delap being pulled out of England’s European Championship U21s
Internal rivalry within Chelsea's team
The length of the contract, until 2031, indicates Chelsea see him as a bit of a long-term investment, despite the investment being made during a brief, high-profile bidding war. The signing is in line with the new management's pattern of signings, which has been favoring youth players who can be nurtured in-house.
The gamble on Delap is in line with this thinking. He has little experience at the very highest level, so he'll be able to build his reputation at the international level straight away. For Chelsea supporters, the issue is not whether or not Delap has potential, only whether Chelsea can ultimately benefit from signings such as this one. The club has splurged on youth in recent seasons, several of whom have yet to deliver any concrete contribution. Signing the striker, even during this rebuilding process, comes with the same expectation.