Liam Delap Transfer: ‘Be stunned if he isn’t at Chelsea’ – Blues target like ‘a young Alan Shearer' say Steve Sidwell and Joe Cole
Updated 29/05/2025 at 17:26 GMT+1
With the summer transfer window beckoning, Premier League clubs will soon be fighting among each other for the brightest talents in Europe, and TNT Sports' Steve Sidwell believes Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap should be a chief target for UEFA Conference League champions Chelsea. The Blues beat Real Betis 4-1 on Thursday to clinch their first piece of silverware under Enzo Maresca.
‘Hungry’ & ‘robust’ Chelsea target Delap ‘reminds me of young Shearer’ - Sidwell
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Steve Sidwell compared Chelsea target Liam Delap to a "young Alan Shearer," as the TNT Sports pundit highlighted the club's need to bring in another striker this summer.
Speaking alongside Joe Cole and Michail Antonio following Chelsea's UEFA Conference League win over Real Betis, Sidwell and his colleagues earmarked the Ipswich Town No. 9 as a key target for Enzo Maresca's side.
"He fits the club," Sidwell said about Delap, who scored 12 times in the Premier League this season. "He's young, he's hungry. He's someone the coaches can develop.
"He kind of reminds me of a young Alan Shearer when he was at Southampton. Just robust, an out-and-out No. 9 who knows where the goal is."
With Premier League experience and having worked previously with head coach Maresca and recruitment co-director Joe Shields at Manchester City, the 22-year-old perfectly fits the club's remit of signing young and developing players.
A new striker is doubly needed for Chelsea as Christopher Nkunku looks set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
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A £30 million release clause for Delap could be a bargain after he shone in a struggling Ipswich side who could not escape relegation.
Another option would have been Newcastle United's Alexander Isak, but after Eddie Howe's club clinched UEFA Champions League football, the Swede is expected to stay. Even then, a move for the 25-year-old would easily cost Chelsea or any other club north of £100m.
"Everyone is gonna say Isak," Antonio said. "If not Isak, I would go Delap.
"He's strong, he knows where the goal is. He is an old-school No. 9. I feel like the amount of goals he got for Ipswich, if he were at this club, he would probably double it."
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Cole chimed in, adding: "I'll actually be stunned if he isn't at Chelsea [next season]."
Chelsea will face fierce competition from across the league for the young striker's signature from the likes of Manchester United and even Newcastle.
But with Champions League football on offer and a clear commitment to improving young talent, Chelsea may have the upper hand.
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