Chelsea win race to sign Ipswich striker Delap
CHELSEA beat off competition from Premier League rivals to sign English striker Liam Delap from Ipswich on Wednesday for a reported fee of £30 million ($41 million)
Delap, 22, scored 12 Premier League goals during his sole season at Portman Road but could not prevent Ipswich making an immediate return to the Championship.
Manchester United and Everton were also reportedly willing to meet the buyout clause in the England under-21 international's contract.
But Chelsea have won the race for the former Manchester City forward, bolstering their attacking options ahead of the Club World Cup in the United States, starting later this month.
'I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach,' said Delap, who has signed a six-year contract, in a Chelsea statement.
'It's going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.'
The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League and will return to the Champions League next season after a two-year absence.
And Enzo Maresca's men last week beat Real Betis 4-1 in the Conference League final to secure a trophy in the Italian manager's first season in charge.
In mid-December Chelsea were within touching distance of eventual Premier League champions Liverpool before hitting a rocky patch.
They finished the season strongly, securing a top-five spot on the final day of the season but were hamstrung by their lack of a clinical number nine.
Senegal international Nicolas Jackson scored just 10 times in 30 Premier League appearances, while Christopher Nkunku looks set to leave the club after an underwhelming two-year spell.
Delap, the son of former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, began his career at Manchester City but struggled to break into Pep Guardiola's star-studded first team.
After loan spells in the second tier with Stoke, Preston and Hull, he was snapped up by Ipswich in a deal worth up to £20 million after they won promotion to the Premier League a year ago.
Delap was one of the few success stories for the Tractor Boys during a difficult season as they were relegated back to the Championship with just 22 points.
Chelsea will face Flamengo, LAFC and ES Tunis in the group stages of the Club World Cup, which gets underway on June 14.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
11 minutes ago
- The Sun
Yamal Boosts Ballon d'Or Bid with Double vs France
LAMINE Yamal's match-winning performance against France in the semi-finals of the Nations League on Thursday has underlined his Ballon d'Or credentials, said Spain manager Luis de la Fuente. The 17-year-old Barcelona sensation lifted Spain to a thrilling 5-4 win over France by scoring twice, which sent the holders through to their third successive Nations League final where they will face Iberian neighbours Portugal. The contest to lift the prestigious golden ball trophy in September is widely seen as one between Yamal and France forward Ousmane Dembele, with both playing crucial roles for their clubs and countries this season. "Yamal has made a statement tonight and shown that he should win the Ballon d'Or," De la Fuente told broadcaster RTVE. "He's the best player in the world and, in my opinion, of course, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or." The 28-year-old Dembele, a former Barcelona man, can boast of the Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup titles this campaign, while Yamal has LaLiga, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup to his name. "I always say the same thing to mum, that I try to give my all," Yamal said. "That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football. It's always best to speak on the pitch. "Dembele is a great player, we saw that in the Champions League, but I am happy that we're the ones in the final." The nominees for the 2025 edition of the Ballon d'Or award, which covers August 1-July 31, will be announced at the start of August, with the ceremony taking place on September 22.
The Star
12 minutes ago
- The Star
Manchester United boost profit forecast after Europa League run lifts ticket sales
Soccer Football - Friendly - Hong Kong v Manchester United - Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong, China - May 30, 2025 A Manchester United fan displays a banner in the stands REUTERS/Tyrone Siu (Reuters) -Manchester United raised their annual core profit forecast on Friday as the club's strong performance in the Europa League drove ticket sales and broadcast revenue. United forecast adjusted core profit of between 180 million pounds ($244 million) and 190 million pounds for the year ending June, up from an earlier projection of between 145 million and 160 million pounds. Ticket sales jumped more than 50% to 44.5 million pounds in the three months to March as the club had a good run in the Europa League, before losing the finals to Tottenham Hotspur. United had their worst Premier League season since they were relegated in 1974 and hopes of participating in a European competition next season were dashed after they lost the Europa League final. "We had a difficult season in the Premier League, which we all know fell below our standards and we have a clear expectation of improvement next season," CEO Omar Berrada said in a statement. United's absence from European competitions, which are lucrative sources of broadcasting revenue, deals a huge blow to the club's future finances and has drawn anger and disappointment from fans worldwide. Jim Ratcliffe, who holds a stake of about 29% in the club and runs their football operations, has taken steps to revive the club's fortunes, including by cutting jobs, raising ticket prices and stopping free lunches at staff canteens. Those benefits are expected to be realised from the first quarter of the new fiscal year starting July, the club said on Friday. United reported a net loss of 2.7 million pounds for the three months ended March 31, compared with a loss of 71.5 million pounds a year earlier. ($1 = 0.7383 pounds) (Reporting by Yadarisa Shabong in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
The Sun
17 minutes ago
- The Sun
Yamal made big Ballon d'Or statement against France, says De la Fuente
LAMINE Yamal's match-winning performance against France in the semi-finals of the Nations League on Thursday has underlined his Ballon d'Or credentials, said Spain manager Luis de la Fuente. The 17-year-old Barcelona sensation lifted Spain to a thrilling 5-4 win over France by scoring twice, which sent the holders through to their third successive Nations League final where they will face Iberian neighbours Portugal. The contest to lift the prestigious golden ball trophy in September is widely seen as one between Yamal and France forward Ousmane Dembele, with both playing crucial roles for their clubs and countries this season. "Yamal has made a statement tonight and shown that he should win the Ballon d'Or," De la Fuente told broadcaster RTVE. "He's the best player in the world and, in my opinion, of course, he deserves to win the Ballon d'Or." The 28-year-old Dembele, a former Barcelona man, can boast of the Champions League, Ligue 1, French Cup and French Super Cup titles this campaign, while Yamal has LaLiga, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup to his name. "I always say the same thing to mum, that I try to give my all," Yamal said. "That is what motivates me and what gets me up in the morning. It is why I play football. It's always best to speak on the pitch. "Dembele is a great player, we saw that in the Champions League, but I am happy that we're the ones in the final." The nominees for the 2025 edition of the Ballon d'Or award, which covers August 1-July 31, will be announced at the start of August, with the ceremony taking place on September 22.
