Before the season, Rasmus Hojlund had been labelled as too light to wear the United shirt at the top. The Dane disappeared to Napoli (and revitalization), while United signed Benjamin Sesko for 76 million euros+. Before the RB Leipzig striker was chosen, Man Utd were so closely linked to Liam Delap that several English media thought this was a done deal. Then Chelsea showed up, acted quickly, and signed the Ipswich striker for £30 million as early as June 4. Sesko is starting to adapt to the pace and intensity of the Premier League, but for Delap, the move to Chelsea has been a real speed bump in his development.
Delap was outstanding for Ipswich in the Premier League in the 2024/25 season, scoring 12 goals for the league’s second-weakest club. At Chelsea, the season has been marked by playing time crumbs, hamstring injuries and goal drought (1 goal in the Premier League, 1 in the Champions League).
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Caughtoffside reports that there is already talk of exiting Chelsea. It is more likely that the London club will open for rent than sell this summer, but sources do not rule out that Delap, who has been given the flop label, will be dumped on the transfer market.
Although Chelsea invested in a striker for the future with Delap, the club has shown that they can be ruthless, with other players such as Joao Felix, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga as examples. The players left the club not long after they arrived, as they simply did not have the desired effect.
Delap could be next, according to Caughtoffside’s sources, with a final decision coming soon:
-Delap may not stay much longer at Chelsea, a source in the industry told me. “It’s clear he’s been struggling and they’ll be open to a loan this summer – it could be with an option or purchase obligation, but don’t be surprised if they’re open to permanent offers straight away. I would be surprised if Delap was still at Chelsea next season,” said another source. “I hear that several clubs have already been informed and are considering their next steps,” writes the English media.
So far, there should be no direct contact between suitors and Delap, or any club-to-club talks with Chelsea, but clubs that are following the process are Manchester United, Newcastle United, Everton, Brighton and Sunderland, with United particularly interested:
“Man United really wanted Delap last summer and felt at one point that they were in a strong position,” said a source. Their admiration for the player has not changed.
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Would a sale to a direct rival like Man United be out of the question for Chelsea?
Alejandro Garnacho moved in the opposite direction last summer, while Mason Mount moved from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford, so this is hardly a problem.
