CHELSEA are increasingly confident of landing Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap despite interest from Manchester United.
The England Under-21 forward, who has scored 12 Premier League goals, has a release clause of just £30million.
United are in the market for a new centre-forward but Delap, 22, is favouring a link-up with the Blues’ boss Enzo Maresca, his academy coach at Manchester City.
Chelsea’s current recruitment director Joe Shields was instrumental in Delap’s move from Derby to join Man City’s star-filled academy in 20219.
The signing of Delap would be seen as a huge coup for Chelsea as he is one of the most in-demand young players in this country.
He joined Ipswich last summer from City in a £15m deal, rising to £20million.
He had a release clause of £40m but that has been reduced by £10m now the Tractor Boys have been relegated.
Arsenal have also been watching the forward, whose goals have not been enough to save Ipswich from relegation back to the Championship.
Delap had hoped his form, particularly in the first half of the season, would be enough to get into Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad in March.
Yet he remained with the U21s along with Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis.
But he did train with England’s senior team at St George’s Park ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Latvia.
Tuchel will name his next squad, on Friday week, for the World Cup qualifier away to Andorra and a friendly at home to Senegal.
But Delap is again set to remain with the U21s as they prepare for the European Championships in Slovakia.
Chelsea raids on Man City stars
CHELSEA have become adept at nicking some of the talent factory from rivals Man City – and it doesn’t look like stopping any time soon.
Liam Delap would become the EIGHTH high profile name to move to Stamford Bridge from The Etihad, sometimes via a couple of other clubs in between.
Chelsea’s current head coach was once part of Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff at City — and is such of devotee of his former boss he’s known as Diet Pep. Maresca, 45, – who also spent a season as Leicester manager – worked as manager of City’s Under-23 team.
Chelsea’s Co-Director of Recruitment and Talent, who was poached from Southampton, where he spent just two months after leaving Man City in 2022.
Van der Kraan was at City before joining as Chelsea’s academy technical director last October. He was head of coaching at City’s academy
The 23-year-old England star made the switch from Man City to Chelsea in 2023 for £40million, potentially rising to £42.5m. Palmer, pictured here with Lavia at Man City in 2021, has become the star man at Chelsea with 37 goals in 68 games for the club.
The Belgium international midfielder, 21, joined Chelsea from Southampton for £53m in 2023. Before that he spent two years at Man City, making one appearance for the first team.
Sancho, 25, spent two years at Man City where he was rated very highly. But they sold the young winger to Dortmund for £8m in 2017, and he then joined Man Utd for £73m in 2021. Currently on loan at Chelsea.
The 6ft5in centre back was at Man City’s academy for four seasons, and made his debut for the first team aged 19. Now 27, he spent four years at Fulham before moving to Chelsea on a free transfer last summer.
The striker counts a total of 12 goals and two assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season.
Football is in Delap’s blood. His dad Rory played for Stoke City, and Delap Jr appeared on the set of Soccer AM in 2014 alongside his father.
The former Stoke City and Ireland midfielder is best remembered for his insanely long throw-ins.
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