Chelsea Sign Liam Delap for £30m from Ipswich

Chelsea have signed striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30 million. The 24-year-old is the team’s second summer recruit, as the club aims to strengthen its attack for the new season.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Delap passed medical tests to officially join Chelsea. The £30 million move from Ipswich was finalized after he agreed to personal terms. Delap’s long-term contract at Chelsea will run until 2031. The club beat other teams to sign the in-demand forward. The deal is now official after the last medical checks.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This signing comes days after Chelsea won the Conference League, beating Real Betis 4-1, led by Cole Palmer’s performance. They already signed midfielder Dario Essugo from Sporting on Monday, on a deal until 2033. Reports say Chelsea are also trying to sign Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike, showing their busy transfer window is not slowing down.

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

Under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea are creating a team to compete on many levels next season. Despite the Conference League win, Maresca does not want too high expectations, saying they are not aiming for the Champions League yet. Adding Delap greatly helps their attack, and with more striker additions rumored, their forward line could be very different when the Premier League starts in August.

Next, the team will prepare their new recruits in pre-season and keep chasing more players. The transfer window is still early, so Chelsea fans can expect more signings as the club tries to improve from their fifth-place Premier League finish last season, which was 12 points behind champions Manchester City.