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A retired French international is worried that Liam Delap is not the solution Chelsea need at centre-forward
Former Chelsea midfielder-cum-defender Emmanuel Petit expressed his misgivings about Liam Delap as he is close to completing a move to the West London club.
Chelsea set to sign Delap
As Pulse Sports reported, the Conference League winners are reportedly ready to activate the 22-year-old striker's release clause, believed to be around £30 million, according to Fabrizio on X.
Chelsea's Champions League qualification and the influence of manager Enzo Maresca appear to have been key factors in the young England international's decision to move to Stamford Bridge.
Delap scored 12 goals in 36 Premier League appearances for a struggling Ipswich side last season and is one of the brightest talents in British football. Still, Petit feared that he would suffer a similar fate as the likes of Fernando Torres, Andriy Shevchenko, Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and currently Nicolas Jackson, who have failed to live up to being the Chelsea No.9
What Petit said
“Delap has quality. I think he has done a great job at Ipswich, but it’s a huge step,” Petit told PokerStrategy.
“He has a really bright future, and I have respect for him, but going from Ipswich to Chelsea is huge in terms of expectation and pressure.
“That number nine position at Chelsea has been a curse for so many players. Chelsea need a striker who is going to score 25 goals a season. Will Delap give you that? I’m not so sure.”
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