Why Chelsea should lead race for Liam Delap after changing transfer plans
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There was an almost sympathetic smile on the face of Enzo Maresca as he explained why his two promising young centre-backs left Portman Road last night with empty pockets and no dinner money. For 94 minutes here, Tosin Adarabioyo and Levi Colwill were made to look lightweight by Liam Delap, whose individual performance was - sparing Cole Palmer’s four goals in one half against Brighton - perhaps the best in a Chelsea game this season.
“This is Liam,” Maresca said of the brilliant, bullying force that had led Ipswich Town to their first home win of the season, earning and scoring an early penalty, then brilliantly laying on the clinching goal for former Cobham academy boy Omari Hutchinson.
“In the first half we conceded a penalty and then we conceded one or two more chances in the same way; long ball for Liam, try to defend the ball and shoot,” Maresca said. "In the second half, it was copy and paste. They had some more moments, exactly the same; a longer ball for Liam and he fights against everyone and shoots. This is Liam.”.
Maresca is on first-name terms Delap from his time coaching the son of the Premier League’s great ball-chucker in the Manchester City academy. Even before this game, he had touted the 21-year-old as a player with a big future for England. But how about for Chelsea, too?.
Heading into the January transfer window, Chelsea’s striking needs have changed from when the summer’s shut. Then, it was all about a failed move for Victor Osimhen and the assumption was that the Blues would move again midseason for a truly elite centre-forward.
