Liam Delap takes Chelsea’s ‘CURSED’ shirt number after £30m transfer – leaving fans fearing another case of Fernando Torres, Romelu Lukaku… or the centre back who took the number!

Liam Delap will wear the No 9 shirt at Chelsea after completing a £30million transfer to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich. 

The 22-year-old, who became Enzo Maresca‘s second signing of the summer after Dario Essugo, is the latest occupant of he famous jersey as the Blues prepare for life back in the Champions League next season.

The two clubs came to an agreement over Delap last week, and after undergoing a medical put pen to paper on a long-term contract in west London on Wednesday.

The Blues have now confirmed that Delap will take on the No 9 jersey, which has proved rather unlucky for a succession of Chelsea strikers over the years. The last player to wear the ‘cursed’ strip was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who inherited it for a short period in 2023. 

It had been the jersey of Romelu Lukaku, who rejoined the side in a £98m deal in 2021. 

The Belgian moved to Naples last summer for £30million, three years after joining the Blues from Inter Milan. However, his return to Stamford Bridge proved to be disastrous, as after a positive start, he fell out of favour, spending successive seasons on loan at Inter and Roma back in Italy.

Delap impressed for Ipswich in what was a poor season for the club, scoring 12 league goals

Romelu Lukaku was handed the No 9 jersey when he rejoined the Blues in 2021 for £98m

Lukaku secured a permanent exit in August having been forced to train with Chelsea’s bomb squad during pre-season, an experience that he had also undergone during the previous summer. 

At most clubs, being given the No 9 is a source of great pride and responsibility but at Chelsea it has seemed to be a bit of a burden. 

Academy product Tammy Abraham had the honour of wearing the No 9 on his back for a short period but it the highest-profile occupant before him was Gonzalo Higuain, who joined the club as one of the most respected strikers in Europe and left with his reputation in tatters. 

Fears over the Argentine’s fitness and suitability to the pace of the Premier League proved well-founded after following his Napoli manager Mauricio Sarri to west London. Higuain’s return of five goals in 18 games paints a better picture than his six-month spell at the Bridge actually was, despite an encouraging brace against Huddersfield in just his third game.

Before him, Alvaro Morata – Chelsea’s 13th No 9 in the Premier League – was the next unfortunate wearer of the strip.

During his first season, Morata netted just 15 goals across all competitions. While his second season at the club score him score just nine times before returning to Madrid after 12 years, joining the club on an 18-month loan deal.

Having struggled to prove his worth at Chelsea, Morata signed permanently for Atletico in July 2020.

Fernando Torres also had to contend with a then British-record £50m fee when he turned out for the Blues in 2011 following his stunning capture from Liverpool. 

Alvaro Morata – Chelsea’s 13th No 9 in the Premier League – was the next unfortunate wearer of the strip after Gonzalo Higuain

Fernando Torres endured a run of 903 minutes before netting his first goal for Chelsea after his £50m transfer

In truth, though, when people discuss the curse of Chelsea’s No 9, Torres’ name is often the first port of call. He scored his first goal in April, ending a run of 903 minutes without scoring for his new club and it didn’t get any better from there. 

In the 2011-12 season, he went on a 24-game barren run, eventually ending the season with six league goals. He got eight the year after, and five the year after that. Indeed, the damage was done, and he moved onto AC Milan on a two-year loan, with his career in steep decline. 

Between Morata and Torres came Radamel Falcao, who netted once in the Premier League, only playing 10 games in the competition overall.

France Di Santo made a similar mark in Blues history, though their is some mitigation on account of his age. He played 16 times – eight in the league, eight in various cup competitions – but did not manage to score a goal. He was shipped out on loan to Blackburn the following season, before joining Wigan on a permanent deal.