Derby County academy product and former Manchester City man Liam Delap is on the move yet again. Delap spent this past season at Ipswich Town, where he scored 12 times in 37 appearances. The 22-year-old English striker will officially become a member of Chelsea FC (pending medical), once the summer transfer window opens on June 1.
Chelsea beat out Manchester United, as well as several other clubs in the race to obtain Delap’s signature.
🚨🔵 BREAKING: Liam Delap to Chelsea, here we go! Agreement in place as £30m release clause will be triggered.
Manchester City will not use buy back clause and Delap has already accepted Chelsea project.
Long term deal, Maresca’s impact + UCL football key. Delap will join #CFC. pic.twitter.com/LmgmfQE8Su
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 29, 2025
With Ipswich Town going right back down to the Championship, after just one season in the Premier League, Delap needed an escape route in order to stay in the top flight. And now Chelsea will provide that, as this deal is almost official. Personal terms have been agreed and the £30m release clause has been activated.
All that remains is the medical evaluation and the paperwork.
Prior to this just completed season with the Tractor Boys, Liam Delap went out on loan from Manchester City three times:
Stoke City 2022-23, Preston North End 2023 and Hull City 2023-24.
His goal scoring numbers aren’t all that impressive, so this move will no doubt raise a few eyebrows. Delap is talented, but he has been lacking in production.
Maybe his arrival at Stamford Bridge will now signal the departure of Christopher Nkunku? The injury prone Chelsea forward has been linked with a move away for awhile now.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter