Chelsea’s repeat of Cole Palmer trick threatened by Premier League rivals

Chelsea produced that transfer of the season in 2023/24 as they captured Cole Palmer from Manchester City for what has proven to be a bargain €47 million – but their attempts to replicating that coup could be thwarted by one of their fiercest Premier League rivals.

Enzo Maresca’s side are interested in signing Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.

Like Palmer, the striker came through Man City’s academy only to be cast off due to a lack of first-team prospects. He moved to Ipswich for a fee around the €18m mark, and after impressing in the early weeks of the Premier League season, the 21-year-old could make the Tractor Boys a rapid profit.

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TeamTalk has reported Chelsea’s ongoing interest in the forward, though Kieran McKenna, the Ipswich manager, is unwilling to sell.

The type of price being discussed for the striker may tempt the club into a sale – particularly if their Premier League fate appears sealed by the time the end of the January window rolls around.

CaughtOffside indicates that Ipswich are likely to place an asking price of around €40m on the head of the striker.

Chelsea, though, are far from alone in chasing Delap.

Tottenham “are leading the race” for the striker at the moment, but Arsenal, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are all interested in the forward.

Furthermore, Manchester City are said to be monitoring his progress and have a buyback clause in his contract – as well as a 20% sell-on fee.

Who is Delap like?

The Premier League striker Delap most resembles is Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund, according to data analytics firm SciSports.

The experts show that at Ipswich, the striker, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €7.2m, behaves most like a shadow striker and pressing forward.

Delap and Hojlund: Style comparison

There is an element of Romelu Lukaku’s style to his play, though this is something that is unlikely to enthuse Chelsea fans given the struggles that ‘Big Rom’ had at Stamford Bridge, while Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and even former Blues striker Olivier Giroud are players comparable to Delap.