Liam Delap Wears Famous Number 9 Shirt at Chelsea

Chelsea’s new striker, Liam Delap, will wear the number 9 shirt after his £30 million move from Ipswich Town. The 22-year-old signed a six-year contract and will now have the responsibility of wearing one of football’s most famous numbers.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea signed Liam Delap from Ipswich Town for £30 million. He agreed to a long-term contract until 2031. After the deal was completed, Chelsea announced that Delap would wear the number 9 shirt for the 2025/26 season. Chelsea moved quickly to sign him, beating competition from Manchester United and Newcastle United.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Delap had a great season with Ipswich Town, scoring 12 goals in 37 appearances. Chelsea’s new signing adds firepower to their squad ahead of the Champions League, with the Blues having finished fourth in the Premier League and won the UEFA Conference League in 2024/25. Delap is reunited with former Manchester City youth team-mates Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca knows him well from their time at the Etihad Stadium.

WHAT DELAP SAID

The 22-year-old addressed his previous struggles with fitness and revealed how that forced him to think about his back-up plans. “I was really struggling for a couple of months,” Delap told Goal.

“I was missing out. I never liked school. I told my teachers at the time that I wanted to be a footballer and I didn’t really have a plan that if I wasn’t to make it as a footballer what I would do. I wasn’t interested in doing anything else. Football has always been it for me.”

Delap also explained how the transfer has been protective for him: “My career so far has been a bit of a rollercoaster one and it was a big decision for me to leave Man City, but it was something I had to do. I had to go out and play games. Despite all the setbacks I had at City, I had really good people around me. I kept my head down and believed in what I could do if I was fit and I am starting to see that happen now so long may that continue.”

DELAP’S IMPRESSIVE JOURNEY

Delap’s journey that saw him rise to become Chelsea’s number 9 has been impressive. As a teenager, he also excelled at rugby. His school rugby coach would simply instruct teammates to pass the ball to Delap and watch, knowing well that opposition players struggled to handle the then-teenage boy. Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna recently shared his praise of Delap: “He is as good as what there is out there anywhere in the world.”

WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

With Delap now officially onboard wearing the number 9 shirt, Chelsea’s attention will turn towards further strengthening the squad ahead of a demanding 2025/26 campaign.