Chelsea preparing £50m bid for striker who Enzo Maresca has already worked with

Wed 12 March 2025 10:15, UK

Chelsea are now making a push to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap and are keen to finalise a deal before the summer, TBR Football can exclusively reveal.

Delap has enjoyed a brilliant campaign with Ipswich this season and he is now being tipped for a place in former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.

Chelsea have known about Delap since his Manchester City days and actually considered a move for 🦄the striker last summer having signed his good friend Cole Palmer 12-months prior.

Delap’s representati🎶ves are fully aware of the interest being shown and Chelsea have been in commun🍰ication since before Christmas

The England under-21 international has emerged as Chelsea’s top summer target alo𒐪ng with Slovenian 🤡superstar Benjamin Sesko, a player the Blues remain hugely keen on.

Chelsea want Liam Delap as soon as possible amid rival interest

That being said, Graeme Bailey – TBR Football chief correspondent, unde🍸rstands th🃏at Chelsea are ready to try and seal a deal with Ipswich prior to the summer.

Chelsea have been informed of substantial rivalಌ interest in Delap, meaning they are keen 🌟to secure his signature as soon as possible.

However, it’s understood that Ipswich a🍃re not in a hurry to do a deal before the summer given the level of interest that is being shown.

Ipswich signed Delap in a deal worth just over £20m last summer, but that deal included a buy-back fo꧟r Man City at around £ܫ40m, as well as a sizable sell-on fee worth 20%.

However, City are not planning to bring Delap back, but if they feel that they can make a bigger profit from re-signing and selling the striker, that remains an option – but TBR are told that is ‘unlikely’ at this sta𝓰ge.

Ipswich Town are already planning their Liam Delap replacement

Sources believe that whilst Ipswich do not want to do a deal now, but Chelsea ar🌞e ready to tempt them with an offer of around £50m including add-ons.

It’s also understood 🐲that Ipswich are working on possible replacements for Delap already.

Ev💯en if Kieran McKenna’s side stay in the Premier League this seas🐻on, they wouldn’t expect to keep Delap at Portman Road.

Of course, Enzo Maresca knows Dela🉐p well from their days working together at City, a striker who has made considera♛ble progress since.

Delap has scored 10 goals in 27 Premier League appearances this season, a ꦑ22-year-old who is attracting serious attention.

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Exclusives

Chelsea preparing £50m bid for striker who Enzo Maresca has already worked with

Chelsea want Liam Delap as soon as possible amid rival interest

Ipswich Town are already planning their Liam Delap replacement