Chelsea contact club and open talks to sign £42 million Ex-Man city star
Chelsea chiefs have been in club-to-club contact and “opened talks” with a Premier League side over signing their star player, following initial talks with his agents, as Stamford Bridge officials continue laying the groundwork for potential deals.
Chelsea transfer plans ahead of January and next summer
Enzo Maresca’s men are flying high right now, sitting within four points of league-leading Liverpool at the top of the table, with Chelsea yet to lose a single top flight match since their face-off against Arne Slot’s side at Anfield in October.
Chelsea contact Ipswich Town and open talks over signing Liam Delap
Now, Phillips writes that Chelsea are progressing their interest in Delap, following recent contact with the player’s representatives.
It is now believed that Chelsea have made contact with Ipswich and “opened talks” over signing Delap, mainly to gauge if the move is doable, when it could happen and how much it could cost the club in terms of capital.
Unsurprisingly, Ipswich are adamant that the ex-Man City gem won’t be sold in January, as they’re fighting against the drop and don’t want to lose their star player for the second half of 2024/2025.
Given Phillips broke news of Chelsea’s interest in Delap long before big-name journalists like The Athletic’s David Ornstein, this update should be taken pretty seriously.
The 21-year-old, who reportedly commands a £42 million price tag, also falls in line with Chelsea’s transfer strategy of buying young, high-value players with sky-high potential to grow in the coming years.
However, if Man City were to enter the race, the English champions would have an advantage to sign Delap over every other suitor when factoring in their £20 million buy-back clause.