Chelsea have officially completed the signing of Liam Delap after triggering the €35 million (£30m) release clause in his Ipswich Town contract.
The England U21 international has penned a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge, and could make his debut at the Club World Cup, although it is thought that he is prioritising the U21 European Championship with the Three Lions to boost his chances of making next year’s senior World Cup squad.
Arsenal, Everton, Manchester United and Newcastle United were all interested in signing the 22-year-old this summer, however Chelsea quickly emerged as the frontrunners for his signature after securing Champions League qualification, and they have now formally announced his arrival.
Delap is expected to compete with Nicolas Jackson for a starting berth under Enzo Maresca next campaign and he will provide the Blues with additional firepower ahead of their first season in Europe’s elite club competition since 2022-23.
Liam Delap joins Chelsea
Delap spent 10 years in Derby County’s youth system before joining Manchester City at the age of 16 in 2019.
He worked under Chelsea boss Maresca during his time at the Etihad Stadium, while he played alongside current Blues stars Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia before being sent on loan to Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City.
Delap, who has three goals in 12 appearances for England’s U21 side, then joined Ipswich on a permanent deal for €17.9m last summer, and his form for the Tractor Boys has earned him a lucrative move to Chelsea.
Football transfer news headlines today
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
