Chelsea 'leading the race' to complete £40m Premier League transfer this summer

Chelsea are being linked with a move for a Premier League striker as they prepare to add depth to the top end of the pitch this season. The Blues have not had a good alternative to Nicolas Jackson this season, with Christopher Nkunku struggling to fit into Enzo Maresca’s plans, perhaps leading to a departure this summer.

It’s clear the Blues will try to sign a striker this summer, but it’s a tricky signing to get right, especially with frontmen usually commanding huge transfer fees. One shrewd signing Chelsea are being tipped to consider is Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap, who has 12 goals for a struggling Ipswich Town side this season.

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are ‘firmly leading’ the race to sign Delap despite reported interest from Manchester United and others. Reports suggest Delap has a £40million release clause in his contract, but it won’t come into force until Ipswich are relegated, and that is looking very likely.

Delap is still only 22 years of age, so he could prove a wise investment from Chelsea, who have prioritised signing younger players with potential over recent years. The Blues had great luck the last time they signed a former Manchester City prodigy in Cole Palmer, and they will be hoping Delap proves a similarly successful tale if they decide to press go on the deal.

McKenna on Delap

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna has spoken in glowing terms about Delap this season. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: “I think he has evolved his game over the last 18 months. When we played against Liam at Portman Road last year, he was playing right wing. A lot of the time, he was used in wide areas more as a straight-line runner, obviously using his speed to run behind the defence. In the second half of last season, he was injured quite a bit.

"I think from when he came in for pre-season, we were surprised how good his back-to-goal game was. I think he filled out and his body has developed a lot in the last 12 months, so he’s a different frame from the Liam that was playing for Hull at Portman Road probably 14-15 months ago. We were surprised how good he was back-to-goal, and we were surprised how strong he was back-to-goal.

"In the end, you want to develop players’ super strengths and utilise their strengths in the team, and certainly Liam’s physical presence and his strength back-to-goal, his love of physical contact with defenders, is actually one of his outstanding strengths. So we try and use that as much as we can in the team and develop that as a team.

"He has definitely evolved his game and he is still growing, so his body has developed over the last 12 months and that has changed the focus a bit in terms of what he is capable of doing and how he can hurt the opposition. From a mental point of view, I’ve been really pleased with how he takes on information, because he is quite a fun-loving lad. He is pretty light-hearted most of the time and you get those reports before you sign him. But I have to say, from the first time you sit down and go through videos with him and talk to him about the game, go through details and tactical things, he is incredibly receptive and very football smart.

"He takes on information well and can apply things well, so I think that has been a pleasant surprise how high his learning capacity is and how he can take on information and implement things and how open he is to discussing his game and improving. So I think they are pretty good ingredients for a young player."

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