By Edna Roylex
Chelsea FC signed 22-year-old striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30 million. He inked a six-year deal until 2031. Chelsea’s X post announced, “Liam Delap, welcome to our house. ” Delap, in Chelsea blue, stood at Stamford Bridge, football in hand, ready to shine under coach Enzo Maresca.
Born on February 8, 2003, in Winchester, Delap is Rory Delap’s son, a former Republic of Ireland player. He started at Derby County’s academy for 10 years, then joined Manchester City’s academy in 2019. At City, he scored in the 2020 Under-18 Premier League Cup final.
Pep Guardiola praised him after his senior debut goal against AFC Bournemouth in the 2020 EFL Cup. Delap also debuted in the Premier League against Leicester City.
He gained experience on loan at Stoke City, Preston North End, and Hull City from 2022 to 2024. In July 2024, Delap moved to Ipswich Town for £20 million. He scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa and netted against Chelsea in a 2-0 win on December 30, 2024.
Despite interest from Manchester United and Newcastle, Delap chose Chelsea, reuniting with Maresca and teammate Cole Palmer from his City days.
Now at Chelsea, Delap aims to win trophies. He told Fabrizio Romano, “I wanted to come to Chelsea to win trophies.” Chelsea’s X channel added, “Delap’s here to take us back to the top! ”
Training at Stamford Bridge, he’s adapting to Maresca’s tactics. Delap hopes to outshine Nicolas Jackson and lead Chelsea to Premier League and Champions League success. Fans eagerly await his debut, hoping he’ll bring glory to the Blues.