Chelsea line up Liam Delap back-up in case deal fails as loan enquiry received

Chelsea now have a brief period of rest between the end of the regular season and the start of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. The Blues will go into that competition in good spirits after securing Champions League football and winning the Conference League.

In the meantime, Enzo Maresca will look to wrap up a transfer or two as part of the special early 10-day transfer window. With that in mind, we have rounded up all the latest news and transfer rumours surrounding Stamford Bridge.

Delap back-up

Chelsea look likely to land Liam Delap on a deal from Ipswich Town, but it seems they have also decided on a back-up option in case the deal winds up falling through.

Fabrizio Romano has said: “Chelsea are pushing and insisting for Liam Delap as PRIORITY. Chelsea have others like Hugo Etikike on the list if Delap deal collapses. Chelsea are waiting for his decision but remember, they can offer Champions League Football, Manchester United cannot.”

Guiu interest

With Delap seemingly heading to Chelsea, there are now reports that Ipswich would like to pull off an ambitious move for Marc Guiu on a loan deal. The striker has struggled with injuries this season but Maresca has been keen to press home that he has a chance going forward.

That could change with the arrival of another striker, though, and The Guardian say the Tractor Boys would like to sign Guiu on loan, perhaps offering the striker a chance to build some confidence, fitness and form in the Championship.

Maresca on Conference League win

Enzo Maresca was delighted to see his side win the Conference League on Wednesday night. He said after the game: “For sure, we have improved a lot since we started [the season]. We have also started to win games in an ugly way, which is something that with a young squad you can struggle with. But the Nottingham Forest game, we won a little bit in an ugly way, we found a way to win a game that was very important.

“The best picture for me in the final, the one that makes me understand we are going in the right direction, is when we scored the first two guys to celebrate were Malo [Gusto] and Benoit [Badiashile], the two guys we changed. This for me, as a manager, when you change players who are not playing their best and they are the first ones to enjoy the celebrations, it means the spirit is good and we are going in the right direction. It shows everyone is helping each other and this is a good place to build something important.”

he added: “We won this competition and I said many times that we would try to win the competition that we play in. Many times this season, people talked about the Champions League and Europa League, but you cannot win those competitions if you’re in the Conference League. Next season, we are going to play in the Champions league and we will see what happens.”

Your next Chelsea read, FIFA Club World Cup start date and TV channel as Chelsea head to US