Chelsea are finalising the signing of Ipswich striker Liam Delap, who's set to snub interest from Manchester United in order to join Enzo Maresca's side for £30million
Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Liam Delap on a six-year contract after beating Manchester United to his signature. Delap, 22, was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford but he's chosen to join Chelsea, where he'll work with former coach Enzo Maresca.
The Ipswich striker played under Maresca during his time in Manchester City's academy and the Blues boss has used his personal touch to help get the £30million deal over the line. Chelsea's qualification for the Champions League also had an impact, with United having missed out on European football altogether.
Delap will undergo a medical on Monday before signing a deal which runs until June 2031, the Athletic report. It's a relatively usual contract length for a 22-year-old compared to the ones handed out throughout Todd Boehly's cash-happy regime.
Enzo Fernandez penned an eight-and-a-half-year contract when he signed for Chelsea, as did Mykhailo Mudryk. The Blues implemented this structure in order to write off the cost of a player over a longer period (the length of their contract).
Delap won't break records at Chelsea, with his £30m release clause becoming active after Ipswich were relegated from the Premier League. Maresca is a big fan of the England youth international, who's set to play at the under-21 European Championship this month, and wants him to challenge Nicolas Jackson for a starting place at Stamford Bridge next season.
"To compare Liam with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, I think it's a bit early," the Chelsea manager said in April. "But for sure, in terms of style he's that kind of player. They are all real nines. They are No. 9s inside the box.
"But we also have a good No. 9 [in Jackson]. He's doing well since we started. Unfortunately, we've missed him, and sometimes you need to miss players to realise how important they are for you.
"With Nico, we are a completely different team compared to when he was injured. We are happy with Nico as our striker."
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Maresca did, however, praise Jackson, who missed a chunk of the season through injury before making his return in the spring. "My perfect No.9 is exactly Nico Jackson," he added. "We already have a No. 9. It's not summer now.
"If we can have a copy of Nico, it's okay. I have said many times, and you can see as well, with Nico we are a better team. Nico is the one we need.
"Last season, he scored goals without penalties. This season he scored goals until he was injured. Now, hopefully he can score more goals without penalties."