Chelsea beat MU to sign English striker

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign young striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, after triggering a £30m release clause in his contract.

According to The Athleic , Chelsea won Delap's signature amid fierce competition from Manchester United.

Delap was once inclined to join MU but eventually chose Stamford Bridge due to the attraction of the Champions League and the potential for development under coach Enzo Maresca.

In addition, Chelsea's recent victory in the Conference League has further increased the team's appeal in the eyes of young talents.

Delap chose Chelsea instead of MU.

Liam Delap, 22, used to be a Manchester City player but had little chance to play for the first team. After loan spells at Stoke City, Preston North End and Hull City in the Championship,

The striker moved to Ipswich in the summer of 2024 for an initial fee of £15 million, where he quickly proved his worth, scoring 12 Premier League goals, nearly a third of the team's total (36 goals) and becoming a rare bright spot in a dismal season for the club.

Delap is the modern striker, with intelligent movement, agile off-the-ball movement and a versatile finish. Data analysis from SkillCorner shows that he tends to break through defences and create dangerous situations with his pace and determination. At Ipswich, Delap regularly plays on the counter-attack and still makes a difference, showing a tactical versatility that is rare for a 22-year-old.

According to analyst Daniel Taylor, Delap is not only a goalscorer but also a “competitive striker”, a player who strikes fear into defenders with his strong physicality and fierce fighting spirit. Meanwhile, former Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant – now a coach at Ipswich – is said to have had a major influence on Delap’s improvement in finishing and pressing.

For Chelsea, Delap's addition is seen as a strategic move. With Nicolas Jackson being the only option at centre-forward last season, the London club desperately needed another striker to share the scoring burden. Delap's record also shows great potential: only Cole Palmer scored more goals for Chelsea last season.

Meanwhile, Ipswich are targeting Chelsea youngster Marc Guiu as a replacement, with the possibility of a loan move in the near future.

Source: https://znews.vn/chelsea-danh-bai-mu-gianh-chu-ky-tien-dao-nguoi-anh-post1556845.html