Chelsea have completed the £30m signing of Ipswich striker Liam Delap.
The 22-year-old has signed a contract at Stamford Bridge until 2031.
Chelsea have paid Delap’s £30m release clause, which was activated following Ipswich’s Premier League relegation, with the Blues beating off interest from Manchester United and Newcastle.
Liam Delap is not afraid of using his physicality, take a look at some his best battles during the 2024/25 Premier League season
Chelsea are due to pay £20m up front, with the rest in instalments, while Ipswich have also inserted a sell-on clause in the deal.
The England U21 international told Chelsea’s official website: “I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach.
Delap has joined from Ipswich in a £30m deal
“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.”
His move enables him to take part in the upcoming Club World Cup in the United States, with Delap potentially making his Chelsea debut against LAFC on June 16.
Delap becomes Chelsea’s second summer signing after the arrival of midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon.
The west Londoners are set for more activity in the weeks ahead, with Chelsea interested in AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Liam Delap has completed his £30m move to Chelsea
Delap: Time for a new challenge
Delap scored 12 goals in 37 matches for Ipswich in his first Premier League season, despite Kieran McKenna’s side being relegated back to the Championship.
Chelsea moved quickly to sign Delap after their season ended with a UEFA Conference League final win over Real Betis. Their fourth-placed finish in the Premier League has earned them Champions League football next season.
Delap took to social media to say goodbye to Ipswich, admitting it was time for a “new challenge”.
He said on his Instagram story: “Thank you for everything, Ipswich Town.
“The team, manager, staff & club have been incredible from the moment I arrived.To the fans, I appreciate the support you gave me week in week out, from the stands at home and on the road.
Delap is set to make his Chelsea debut at the Club World Cup
“I’m sure this club will be back in the Premier League soon, where it belongs. I’ll never forget my time at the Town! Now it’s time for a new challenge.”
Delap will be reunited at Chelsea with Enzo Maresca, Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia – who he knows from playing at youth level with Manchester City.
Following his move to Chelsea, City will be due a sell-on clause of 20 per cent, which they negotiated when they sold Delap to Ipswich last year.
Why Delap is playing at Club World Cup – and not U21s Euros
Delap will be free to play for Chelsea at the Club World Cup, with the FA unable to enforce his involvement in the England squad for the U21s European Championship.
Liam Delap scored for Ipswich against Chelsea from the penalty spot in December
That is because the junior European tournaments fall outside the FIFA international window.
FIFA rules dictate that national associations can tell selected players to put their country ahead of club commitments, but only within the pre-agreed dates for international competition.
The U21s Euros will begin in Slovakia on June 11, but the official FIFA international window runs until June 10.
Three Manchester City players are affected by the clash with the Club World Cup – James McAtee, Nico O’Reilly and Rico Lewis were all part of Lee Carsley’s plans.
But only McAtee will be part of the U21s squad, after City reached agreement with the FA on his situation. O’Reilly and Lewis will travel with Pep Guardiola’s squad for the inaugural FIFA club tournament in America.
Carsley is understood to be fairly relaxed with the situation, knowing that some other national teams at the U21s Euros will be more heavily affected than England.
How ‘destructive’ Delap can bring best out of Palmer and Chesea
What will Liam Delap’s Chelsea move mean for Cole Palmer’s form?
Sky Sports’ Sam Blitz:
Delap is not just someone to boost Chelsea’s firepower – he’s another forward to get the best out of Chelsea’s star player in Palmer.
That’s because Delap and Palmer worked together to great effect in the Man City academy. Since their U18 days, the pair played together 33 times for City or England’s youth teams. They won 28 and lost just twice.
In terms of points per game, Palmer only has a better record with one player in his career – City’s Bernardo Silva. His partnership with Delap is just as successful as the one he had with Rodri, who barely loses a game for Pep Guardiola’s side.
“I think they’re so linked because of the ability of one to serve the other,” Brian Barry-Murphy, the coach who worked with both players in the Man City Elite Development Squad, tells Sky Sports.
“You’ll have seen Cole speak recently about how he wants to play forward, be expressive and aggressive. Liam is the one who will be willing to make those movements.
“At City, we would always speak about Liam having no reason not to make the run because Cole will find you. And it’ll be very interesting to see how that will manifest itself under Enzo Maresca.”
Read more from Barry-Murphy on Delap here.
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