Liam Delap has already passed his Chelsea audition – the Blues MUST beat Man Utd to cut-price transfer for Ipswich striker

Liam Delap has already passed his Chelsea audition – the Blues MUST beat Man Utd to cut-price transfer for Ipswich striker

The centre-forward will line up against his west London suitors on Sunday ahead of a summer tug of war that Chelsea should be determined to win

Sunday’s clash between Chelsea and Ipswich will be billed as Liam Delap’s Stamford Bridge audition, but in reality the striker has already passed with flying colours. The Blues are determined to sign the 22-year-old, who is certain to move on this summer as the Tractor Boys slide towards the relegation trapdoor.

If he can deliver the kind of performance he produced in the reverse fixture, as he took the game by the scruff of the neck to inspire a shock 2-0 victory under the lights at Portman Road, Chelsea’s big-spending owners might be tempted to peel open their chequebook there and then.

With all eyes on Delap, the Blues will hope this is more of a rehearsal than an audition – only with the forward lining up for the opposition. But as rival interest from across the Premier League begins to gather steam, the west Londoners need to make good on their groundwork to get a potential bargain transfer over the line.

Getty Images SportLogical choiceThere is little surprise that Delap figures so prominently in Chelsea’s thoughts as the summer approaches; a brutish, bustling centre-forward blessed with technique, devastating finishing ability and a nasty streak – as well as the game intelligence to drop deep and link play – he is cut from the same cloth as club legends Didier Drogba and Diego Costa. He simply makes things happen.Having just turned 22, he fits within the Blues’ recent transfer policy of going after the best young talent around, and he has already collected invaluable Premier League experience at Ipswich. His 12 league goals for the Tractor Boys demonstrate that he is already proven in England’s top flight, outperforming his xG (nine) despite the limited opportunities that Kieran McKenna’s side have been able to create for him as they attempt to stave off relegation.Notably, he is outscoring Chelsea’s first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson this season, albeit the Senegal international missed five games with injury, and there is little doubt that he would add the depth of quality that the Blues have been dearly lacking in certain areas. Given they are both so young, he and Jackson could dovetail nicely and continue to develop.

AFPCut-price feeThe emergence of a relegation release clause in Delap’s contract will have made him all the more appealing to Chelsea, with the England Under-21 international potentially available for as little as £30 million ($39m) should Ipswich go down.He was already likely to cost well under market value due to a standard £40m ($52m) exit option included in his deal following his £20m ($26m) transfer from Manchester City just last summer, but that will drop by a further £10m if the Suffolk side fall through the trapdoor back into the Championship.Even manager McKenna has admitted that the 12-point gap to Wolves above them in Premier League safety is insurmountable with seven games left to play, and it’s hard to imagine a world where Delap would be willing to go down with the ship. He is set to be available for a bargain price in modern terms.

Getty/GOALChelsea’s striker struggleSigning a lower-profile striker for an absolute steal should suit Chelsea too a tee. This summer’s striker market is set to be very expensive and very competitive as the Premier League’s big hitters – including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United – go in search of a new No.9.Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak, Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko are the names on everyone’s lips, but with their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League hanging in the balance ahead of a challenging run-in, it’s unclear whether Chelsea will even be in a position to compete – financially or in terms of appeal.Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit recently, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly admitted: “Strikers are hard to find. You don’t go into the grocery store and say, ‘I am going to get a striker’. It is an amazing skillset and you have to have the right mentality.”It has been reported that the Blues’ recently-imposed lower wage structure could be problematic, too, with one striker target said to have already baulked at the salary on offer at Stamford Bridge. In theory, Delap should not command the same level of earnings as big names like Gyokeres, Isak and Osimhen, especially.Sesko might be another realistic option as his variable £50-66m ($65-85m) release clause should be within reach, but he will be the subject of significant interest, too.

Getty Images SportRival interestOne significant obstacle to a potential transfer is rival interest in Delap from across the Premier League, most notably from United – who certainly won’t be able to offer Champions League football but could table a significant salary once they have cleared out an overpaid and underperforming squad.According to The Athletic, half of the division is keeping tabs on the Ipswich man, with the Red Devils following Chelsea’s lead by making him their priority for the centre-forward role ahead of the likes of Gyokeres, Osimhen and Sesko due to his cut-price release clause – although the ultimate figure might be driven up by the sheer volume of interested parties. Man City have a buy-back clause, too, but it’s believed they are unlikely to trigger it with Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush already in their ranks.Both Chelsea and United will be able to give the playing time guarantees that Delap will seek, as Ruben Amorim’s side look for an upgrade on misfiring current options Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. The west Londoners cannot afford to let him slip through their grasp and join a direct top-four rival ahead of 2025-26.

Getty Images’Fantastic player’One significant advantage Chelsea hold over their rivals is that head coach Enzo Maresca has worked with the player before in the U21s at Man City, and he is a big fan.”Liam is a fantastic player, and also for his age,” the Italian tactician said ahead of the reverse fixture back in December. “I think we spent one year together [at City] and I think he scored 22, 24 goals and he is a very good striker.”In England they have many like him and they have many good players, good strikers and he’s working hard off the ball, on the ball, he understands the game and can score goals. And also because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England.”

Audition already passedIndeed, Delap would prove his former coach’s point in that clash against Chelsea just before the turn of the year as he was the architect of his suitor’s downfall in a remarkable 2-0 win at Portman Road – the Tractor Boys’ first home win of the season at the 10th attempt.The striker ran the Blues’ defence ragged from the first whistle; in the 10th minute, he surged into the box and drew a foul from goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen before picking himself up and blasting a precision penalty into the bottom corner. A little over a minute later, Delap bullied Levi Colwill before forcing a sprawling save from a tight angle.Maresca’s men had no response, and early in the second period the then-21-year-old helped his side land the decisive blow, pouncing on a loose pass by Axel Disasi near the halfway line and driving at the visitors’ panic-stricken defence, keeping his composure to turn inside and lay the ball on a plate for winger Omari Hutchinson to sweep home against his former club.

Delap wasn’t finished there, shrugging off the usually-unshakeable Moises Caicedo, haring down the wing and unleashing a fierce drive that had to be tipped over. This was an all-timer of a performance, and one that will have put Chelsea and everyone else on notice to his talent.

Getty Images SportLaying the groundworkChelsea have seemingly been laying the groundwork for a summer transfer in the months since that December night, and it would be very little surprise if that outstanding individual performance at their expense was the catalyst.Undoubtedly with Maresca as a driving force behind the scenes, the Blues have “committed significant time and effort” to their pursuit of Delap, according to The Athletic, with their interest considered “serious”.With Man Utd clearly intent on rivalling Chelsea for the future England striker’s signature, the player’s decision may come down to wages, playing time, the chance to play Champions League football or all of the above.With the season ticking down, there is the sense that the Blues hold a slender advantage; now is the time for them to position themselves to pull off what would be one hell of a bargain for one of the best young strikers around.