NafisaLiam Delap is expected to undergo his Chelsea medical on Monday after the Blues activated his release clause with Ipswich Town.
Enzo Maresca’s team are poised to outpace Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Everton for his signing as they aim to finalise their first deal of the summer.
The transfer window officially opens on Sunday, with the west London club in a position to wrap up the agreement ahead of their Club World Cup campaign, which kicks off in June. However, the start of the tournament does coincide with England’s under-21 European Championship involvement.
Chelsea matched the £30million release clause in Delap’s Ipswich deal, which was triggered following the Tractor Boys’ drop from the top flight. The forward netted 12 goals in his maiden Premier League campaign after joining from Manchester City last year.
Delap already has a connection with Blues manager Maresca from the Italian’s time at City’s youth academy, and an agreement to bring the attacker to Stamford Bridge is reportedly nearing completion, according to The Athletic.
Chelsea’s Champions League qualification, secured on the final day of the league season, is believed to have been a key factor in Delap’s decision to join the club.
Reports also suggest that the opportunity to become a regular starter played a vital role for the 22-year-old, with Chelsea seemingly providing the ideal blend of both elements. Maresca’s only senior striker over the previous campaign was Nicolas Jackson, who netted 13 goals in 34 matches.
Maresca has praised Delap’s attributes during the season. The young attacker caused Chelsea trouble as Ipswich collected four points against their Premier League counterparts in 2024/25.
The Blues’ boss stated earlier this year: “In terms of numbers, he’s doing fantastic. I think he’s scored 12 [Premier League] goals already.
“It’s not just in terms of his numbers — [it’s] the way he plays and fights and is always there. But he’s an Ipswich player. He’s an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future.
“In the first game, he was quite good for them. We need to deal with that, and we need to do much, much better compared to the first game [the loss at Ipswich].”
Manchester United were reportedly close to sealing the structure of a transfer for Delap, including personal terms with the player’s camp. The move was ready to proceed rapidly if Delap had selected Old Trafford as his destination, but in the end, a switch to Chelsea proved more enticing.
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