Chelsea confirm £30m signing of Liam Delap as Man United & Newcastle miss out
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Chelsea have completed the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for a fee of £30m.
The 22-year-old becomes Chelsea's second summer signing after the arrival of Dario Essugo from Sporting CP was confirmed earlier this week.
Delap has signed a long-term contract at Stamford Bridge, penning a deal until June 2031.
Upon signing, Delap told the club's in-house media: "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."
Moving from Ipswich Town, who were relegated from the Premier League after just one season, Delap opted to pick a move to Chelsea over Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Everton.
Chelsea qualifying for next season's Champions League has played a big part in Delap's decision to join the Blues, who also clinched Conference League glory last month.
READ MORE: Inside Enzo Maresca's private chat with Liam Delap to seal £30m transfer
He will join up with the squad for their Club World Cup campaign in the United States later this month, instead of playing for England at the Under-21 European Championships.
Delap will compete with Nicolas Jackson for the out-and-out striker position next season, as well as another forward who is expected to be signed this summer.
Maresca will be hoping Delap can hit the ground running and improve on his 12 Premier League goals in the 2024/25 campaign for Ipswich.
Matt Debono leads the editorial team which covers Chelsea On SI. He has witnessed Chelsea win it all, whilst also featuring on ITV News, SPORTbible and various other publications.