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, to beat off interest from Manchester United and Newcastle.
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Liam Delap is not afraid of using his physicality, take a look at some his best battles during the 2024/25 Premier League season
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.
“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.”
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 will be reunited at Chelsea with Enzo Maresca, Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia – who he knows from playing at youth level with Manchester City.
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.
