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New York Times
15 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Liam Delap to Chelsea: Transfers TLDR
Chelsea have signed striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town after activating his £30million release clause. The 22-year-old has agreed to a six-year contract, having decided on a move to Stamford Bridge over several other interested clubs. As part of this summer's transfer coverage on The Athletic, in addition to breaking news, tactical analysis and in-depth reads, our Transfers TLDR series (you can read them all here) will bring you a quick guide to each of the key deals. While Delap's father Rory was busy taking long throws for Stoke in 2009, Liam joined the academy of one of his dad's former clubs, Derby, aged six. He stayed until Manchester City signed him in 2019. At 17, Delap scored on his City debut in the Carabao Cup in September 2020 and Pep Guardiola gave him his first Premier League appearance four days later. Advertisement In summer 2022, Delap joined Stoke on loan and wore his father's old No 17. Loans to Preston and Hull followed before Delap, who has represented England at youth level and is eligible for the Republic of Ireland, joined Ipswich last summer. Caoimhe O'Neill Delap is at his best when galloping towards goal with the ball at his feet, where his strong 6ft 1in (186cm) physique and speed make him a tough opponent. He scored 12 times last season in 37 league games for promoted, and relegation-bound, Ipswich. To be considered a success at Chelsea, he is going to need to go beyond that. And while he can score every type of goal, he could add more assists to his game — he has the playmaking skills to do so. Caoimhe O'Neill Delap's familiarity with Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca, under whom he scored 27 goals in 22 matches for Manchester City's under-23s team in 2020-21, will surely help. And like fellow Chelsea front man Nicolas Jackson, he thrives when running in behind and excels at positioning himself within the box to receive from wide areas and shoot, as the graph below shows. He is a fantastic dribbler too. Delap often brushed off defenders and made marauding forward runs for Ipswich. He is good in the air and loves battling opposition centre-backs too, while his pressing improved over the course of last season. Anantaajith Raghuraman Delap missed three months in early 2024 while on that loan at Hull with a knee injury. He had no such problems last season, featuring in 37 of the 38 Premier League matches, and the one he sat out was due to suspension. His only other major absence was because of an ankle issue in September 2021 while still a City academy player, when he was sidelined for five months. Anantaajith Raghuraman Maresca has admired Delap since working with him at City. 'Liam is a fantastic player for his age,' the Chelsea coach told the BBC in December. 'We spent one year together and he scored 27 goals. He works hard on and off the ball. He understands the game. Because of his age, he can be an important player for England.' Caoimhe O'Neill Delap has signed a six-year contract, ending in June 2031, after Chelsea met the £30million release clause included in his Ipswich contract in the event of their relegation. Chelsea's treatment of the deal will differ between their published accounts and their regulatory submissions to the Premier League and UEFA; the two governing bodies only allow transfer fees to be amortised over a maximum of five years, which Delap's contract terms exceed. Advertisement By signing in early June, around a month of the fee hits Chelsea's books for 2024-25, alongside four weeks of Delap's wage. That figure is unknown but, as with any deal, will form a significant part of the overall cost of Delap being a Chelsea player. Ipswich will receive £20m in up-front cash, which won't impact the club's bottom line — the whole profit on the deal is recognised immediately, regardless of when Ipswich are paid — but will boost their coffers ahead of a return to Championship football next season. Chris Weatherspoon Using estimated agent fees on the deal of 10 per cent, Delap's signing adds around £463,000 in transfer fee amortisation to Chelsea's costs for the 2024-25 season, and a further £6.5m each season to the end of 2029-30 (the sixth year of the contract would incur no amortisation charge for PSR purposes). For Ipswich, the £30m fee is reduced by a sell-on clause owed to City. Worth 20 or 30 per cent (the exact clause is unknown) of the proceeds over the £15m Ipswich signed him for last July, it means City will get £3m-£4.5m. Ipswich's receipt of between £25.5m and £27m for Delap, who was only a year into a five-year contract, translates to an estimated accounting profit of £13.2m-£14.7m. As part of the deal, Ipswich have secured a sell-on clause of their own from Chelsea. The size of that clause is unknown. Chris Weatherspoon
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Chelsea complete Liam Delap transfer on six-year deal
Chelsea have completed the signing of striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town. The Athletic reported on May 29 that the two clubs had reached an agreement for the transfer of the 22-year-old with the England Under-21 international now signing a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge. Delap makes the switch after a £30million ($40m) release clause in his Ipswich contract became active following the team's relegation from the Premier League. Advertisement Chelsea will pay £20m of the fee up front. Ipswich also hold a sell-on clause as part of the deal. Manchester United, Newcastle United, Everton, Nottingham Forest, AC Milan and Juventus had been interested but sources at those teams — speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships — were later informed the forward was heading elsewhere. Delap had a breakthrough season in 2024-25, scoring 12 goals in the league despite Ipswich struggling and finishing 19th. He made 40 appearances for the club in his sole season at Portman Road. After spending much of his youth career with Derby County, Delap joined Manchester City's academy in 2019. He only made six appearances for the first team and had loan spells at Championship sides Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City before joining Ipswich in July 2024 for an initial £15m ($19.2m). Delap has been capped 12 times by England's under-21 side. His father, former Stoke and Southampton midfielder Rory Delap, was capped 11 times by the Republic of Ireland. Analysis by Dan Sheldon Given the number of clubs targeting Delap, this is a coup for Chelsea — no doubt aided by the fact they will be participating in next season's Champions League — and follows on from the celebrations of their UEFA Conference League triumph on Wednesday night. Delap is one of the brightest young sparks in English football, so the fact he wants to call Stamford Bridge home is a significant vote of confidence in what Chelsea are building. Nicolas Jackson has been the only conventional senior No 9 available to Enzo Maresca this season, so Delap's potential arrival will benefit his squad. From Chelsea's squad, only Cole Palmer (15), scored more Premier League goals than Delap's 12, which is an impressive tally given it was his first year playing in England's top flight and that Ipswich were one of the three worst teams in 2024-25. The release clause makes this a good bit of business for Chelsea, especially as Ipswich, given Delap's age and pedigree, could command a significantly higher fee if the clause didn't exist. ()
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Chelsea reach agreement with Liam Delap on personal terms, set to sign six-year deal
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Liam Delap over personal terms and the striker will join from Ipswich Town on a contract that runs until 2031, subject to completing his medical checks. A deal was already in place between the clubs for Chelsea to activate a £30m release clause — after the 22-year-old picked Stamford Bridge as his next destination from a host of big-name options. Chelsea are planning for the striker to undergo his medical on Monday before completing the transfer, as reported by The Athletic. The Athletic reported on May 29 that the two clubs had reached an agreement for the transfer of the 22-year-old. Chelsea met the release clause in Delap's contract, which became active upon Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League. After spending much of his youth career with Derby County, Delap joined Manchester City's academy in 2019. He only made six appearances for the first team and had loan spells at Championship sides Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City before joining Ipswich in July 2024 for an initial £15m ($19.2m). Delap has been capped 12 times by England's under-21 side. His father, former Stoke and Southampton midfielder Rory Delap, was capped 11 times by the Republic of Ireland.
Irish Times
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘He didn't say f**k off': Heimir Hallgrímsson hopeful Liam Delap may represent Ireland
Heimir Hallgrímsson recently met Liam Delap to gauge whether the England under-21 striker would be interested in declaring for the Republic of Ireland . Delap's father Rory, who won 11 caps for Ireland between 1998 and 2004, and Hallgrímsson's assistant coach John O'Shea were also present. After scoring 12 goals in the Premier League for relegated Ipswich Town, Delap was named in England under-21's squad by manager Lee Carsley, along with the Dublin-born Dennis Cirkin, for the upcoming European Championships in Slovakia. 'We have sat with him,' said Hallgrímsson. 'Just told him we would love to have him in our camp. But his focus is the [England] under-21s at the moment. What will happen after that we will have to wait and see.' READ MORE Any interest at all? 'Well, he didn't say f**k off,' the Icelander replied. Rory Delap just won the Hungarian league title at Ferencváros as Robbie Keane 's assistant coach. The younger Delap has made 12 appearances for the England under-21s, scoring three goals, so if he lines out in the defending champions opening group match against the Czech Republic on June 12th, the FAI will need to apply to Fifa for a change in nationality. In February, the association appointed Aidan Price, the former Shamrock Rovers academy director, as their head of talent identification and recruitment, with the aim of convincing players such as Delap and Cirkin to declare for Ireland. The Athletic is reporting that Delap intends to join Chelsea this summer, if Ipswich's £30 million (€26.4 million) release clause is met, despite interest from Manchester United, Newcastle United, Everton, Nottingham Forest, AC Milan and Juventus. Liam Delap is being chased by lots of clubs who want to lure him away from Ipswich Town. Photograph:Cirkin would be a more complicated process for the FAI as he was born in Ireland to Latvian parents before moving to England at three years old. 'We want the best players available, always playing for us,' Hallgrímsson continued. 'It is up to him. These questions you need to ask the player himself, not me. We always want the best players.' In the meantime, the Ireland manager is focused on working with his available strikers, Evan Ferguson, Troy Parrott and Adam Idah, before friendlies against Senegal at the Aviva Stadium on June 6th and away to Luxembourg on June 10th. Ferguson impressed Hallgrímsson in recent international camps, when he scored against Bulgaria and Finland, despite the 20-year-old's struggles to command game time in the Premier League with Brighton and on loan to West Ham United. 'I can only judge from the time he's with us,' said Hallgrímsson. 'He's been good for us, he's been efficient for us. At training, he looks good. So, whatever it is, it's something that we cannot control and now we haven't seen him for a long time, so we just want to see him, speak to him and see what's happening and just evaluate where he is.' Séamus Coleman's future in the game as a player remains in doubt after the 36-year-old was forced to pull out of next month's games with an injury he sustained in Everton's last ever match at Goodison Park on May 18th. Everton manager David Moyes confirmed recently that Coleman will remain at the club next season, but it is unclear whether this will be in a playing or coaching capacity. Whatever role Séamus Coleman will have at Everton next season will involve leadership. Photograph: Alex Dodd/CameraSport via Getty Images On whether Coleman will feature in the World Cup qualification campaign, beginning against Hungary and Armenia in September, Hallgrímsson said: 'That's for Séamus to decide, not me.' 'He is a leader in this squad and his experience is one thing, but his quality as a player is another thing as well. He's been playing at the highest level for such a long time, so it's a shame for me and, of course, the national team, not to have him around, but hopefully there will come another time for him, hopefully it will be just the off-season and he'll come back fit and flying. 'I know he's [staying] at Everton in whatever role, maybe a little bit more leadership role, but it's for him to answer if he's going to continue playing or not. It's his decision, but I'm hoping – and I know the Evertonians are hoping – he will continue playing." Hallgrímsson decided not to replace Coleman in a 23-man panel as Matt Doherty, Jake O'Brien, Festy Ebosele and Dara O'Shea can play right back. However, concerns around Sammie Szmodics return from an ankle injury prompted the Irish management to call up Andrew Moran in place of the 29-year-old attacker. Hallgrímsson believes that Chiedozie Ogbene will recover from the Achilles tendon surgery he required in November, to feature against Hungary on September 6th. 'According to him he is going to be the fittest player in preseason, so definitely in September he will be ready for us.' Sadio Mané, the former Liverpool winger, will not travel with the Senegal squad to Dublin next week due to a personal issue. Ireland squad – Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Max O'Leary (Bristol City), Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur). Defenders: Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O'Shea (Ipswich Town), Jake O'Brien (Everton), Andrew Omobamidele (Strasbourg, on loan from Nottingham Forest), Liam Scales (Celtic), Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Festy Ebosele (Istanbul Basaksehir), Ryan Manning (Southampton). Midfielders: Jason Knight (Bristol City), Killian Phillips (St Mirren, on loan from Crystal Palace), Will Smallbone (Southampton), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), John Joe Patrick Finn (Stade de Reims), Andrew Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton). Forwards: Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Evan Ferguson (West Ham United, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Celtic), Kasey McAteer (Leicester City).
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Liam Delap makes final decision over next club as Ipswich striker SNUBS Man Utd transfer
LIAM DELAP'S list of suitors have been informed that the Ipswich Town striker will not be joining them, with the star voicing his preference to join Chelsea instead. Clubs including Manchester United, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are now aware Delap will snub a move in favour of a Chelsea switch, according to The Athletic. Delap, 22, is one of the most sought after talents in the Premier League after scoring 12 goals for Ipswich Town this season. And his enticing £30million release clause has made him a target for top clubs across the league and Europe. However, it now appears that the forward - who is the son of former Stoke City icon Rory Delap - has decided he wants to join Chelsea over the other clubs interested. The Athletic report that European giants AC Milan and Juventus were included in his list of admirers. It's claimed that Delap will now join Chelsea if the Blues can meet the requirements of his release clause and come to an agreement with the England youth international over personal terms. Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna revealed last week that Delap had been considering his options after the Tractor Boys' relegation was confirmed. He said: "Liam's looking at his options for next year, which I think he is entitled to do and we support him with that. "I think we have given him permission to do that this week. It's a very important decision for his future. Of course there is a lot of interest - and rightly so. "I think part of his week has been having some of those conversations It looks more likely than not that he will move on this summer and he has interest from pretty much every club in the league, and I don't think there are many clubs in the world who wouldn't want to have him. "Nothing is sorted, nothing is done or completed or even very, very, very close, so that process will take its course." If Chelsea are to complete the signing of Delap then it could end their interest in Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres. The Blues had also been linked with RB Leipzig bagsman Benjamin Sesko.
