Chelsea recently completed the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in a deal worth around £30 million ($40.6m). The England Under-21 international committed to a long-term contract until the end of the 2030/31 season.
The 22-year-old striker is expected to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge.
FootballOrbit brings you the youngster’s career trajectory so far, and what to expect from him at Chelsea.
Background
Liam Rory Delap was born on the 8th of February 2003 in Winchester, England, to former Stoke City midfielder Rory Delap — who became a Premier League icon due his dangerous long throw-in ability.
Like his younger brother Finn – who is currently a centre-back at League One side Burton Albion – Liam began his soccer career at Derby County’s academy at the age of six. He spent the next 10 years at the club.
Aged 16, and having impressed at England’s age-group sides, Delap joined Manchester City’s academy in 2019. Interestingly, he was recruited by Joe Shields and Stewart Thompson, both of whom now work at Chelsea.
Delap was involved in multiple goals for City’s Under-18s, he scored a goal and set up two others in the final of the 2020 Under-18 Premier League Cup.
Moreso, he came under the tutelage of current Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, in Man City’s Elite Development Squad. He improved so much under Maresca, with his performances earning him the 2020/21 Premier League 2 Player of the Season award after banging in 24 goals in just 20 games – a record in the competition’s history – as City won the PL2 title.
Delap’s Senior Career
Liam was handed his professional debut by Pep Guardiola in an EFL Cup tie against Bournemouth on the 24th of September 2020. The then-17 year old scored his first senior goal in the 18th minute of that contest.
Moreover, the goal made Delap Man City’s youngest debutant scorer in seven years, since Rony Lopes against Watford in 2013.
Three days later, he made his Premier League debut against Leicester City, and won his first senior trophy in April; as City defeated Tottenham 1-0 in the League Cup final.
The following summer, Delap signed a three-year contract extension with Manchester City, but his season was hampered by injuries.
Loan moves
The presence of Erling Haaland ensured the youngster’s game time was very limited. Liam looked elsewhere for match experience; this saw him join the club where his father became famous, Stoke City, on loan for the 2022/23 season.
Delap scored his first goal for Stoke in October 2022. He netted three goals in 23 appearances for the Potters, but was recalled by Man City in January 2023.
He was sent to Preston North End for the remainder of that season, where he notched just a single goal in 15 appearances.
In the summer of 2023, Delap joined Hull City on a season long loan and made his debut against Norwich City, scoring the opening goal of the match.
The young striker was named Hull City’s Player of the Month for December 2023, and ended the season with 8 goals and 2 assists in 31 games.
Breakthrough at Ipswich
On the 13th of July 2024, Liam joined newly promoted Premier League side, Ipswich Town, on a permanent deal worth up to £20 million and penned a 5-year contract.
He scored his first goal for the club against Fulham in a 1-1 draw, and netted a brace in a 2-2 home draw with Aston Villa — becoming the first Ipswich player to net twice in a Premier League game since Marcus Bent in March 2002.
Furthermore, Delap scored and assisted in a 2-0 victory over Chelsea that saw Ipswich win their first Premier League home game since 2002 — as well as their first victory over the Blues since 1993.
Ultimately, the striker ended the 2024/25 season with 12 goals and 2 assists in 37 appearances for the Tractor Boys — finishing as the club’s top goalscorer.
In addition, he also won the club’s Young Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year, and Goal of the Season.
Unfortunately, despite his heroics, the 22-year-old could not save Ipswich from getting relegated as Kieran McKenna’s side made an instant return to the Championship.
Chelsea poach Liam Delap
Unsurprisingly, Delap’s exploits saw him attract lots of interest from various Premier League sides; including Chelsea, Manchester United, Newcastle United, and Everton. His relatively low release clause of just £30m also made him an enticing prospect.
However, the promise of UEFA Champions League football, as well as the opportunity to reunite with people he worked with at Manchester City, saw Chelsea win the race for his signature.
On the 4th of June 2025, Chelsea announced the signing of Liam Delap on a six-year deal after triggering his £30m release clause.
The Blues, who have been acquiring some of the most exciting youngsters in world football, will consider the recruitment of Delap as another triumph in the transfer market.
Also, Delap is reuniting at Stamford Bridge with Maresca, who worked with him at Manchester City’s Academy.
“Liam is a fantastic player, and also for his age. We spent one year [at City] and he scored 24 goals, he’s working hard off the ball. On the ball, he understands the game. He can be an important player for England.”
Enzo Maresca praising Liam Delap ahead of Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Ipswich in December 2024.
Delap will also reconnect with two former team-mates from City’s Academy, Romeo Lavia and Cole Palmer.
The English forward will wear the No 9 shirt for the Blues.
International Career
While his father, Rory Delap, represented Republic of Ireland, Liam has been capped at several youth levels by England.
Delap helped England win the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Slovakia, scoring one goal and coming off the bench in the final to set up another.
However, he remains eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland at senior level.
Liam Delap’s Playing Style
In his early teenage years, Delap played rugby in school due to his huge stature.
Standing at 6 ft 1, the striker constantly gives opposition centre-backs headache with his domineering figure.
Also, due his athleticism, the 22-year-old possesses the ability to launch powerful shots and score spectacular goals.
He is also two-footed, a constant aerial threat, and works hard off the ball.
His ball-carrying ability is equally noteworthy, as the attacker likes driving forward powerfully through the middle of the pitch, while shrugging off defenders.
Nevertheless, he needs to improve his tackling skills, as he often lunges into raw and reckless tackles when challenging for the ball. This saw him get regularly booked last season.
In fact, no Premier League player received more yellow cards than Delap in 2024/25, as he earned 12 bookings.
What next?
In the second half of last season, Chelsea almost saw their campaign derailed as they struggled to score goals, with Nicolas Jackson’s injury woes and Cole Palmer’s shocking goal drought almost costing the Blues a top four place.
Delap is expected to fill that huge gap not just by consistently bagging goals, but to provide stiff competition upfront for Chelsea. It is also probable that Jackson will be absent between December and January to represent Senegal at the AFCON, hence, the Blues must have enough striking options.
