Chelsea will be left with five strikers in their squad this summer. Liam Delap and Joao Pedro were brought in last summer, with the latter cementing his place in the starting XI. Additionally, Nicolas Jackson is set to return to Stamford Bridge after his loan spell at Bayern Munich. The German club have already made it clear that they won’t activate his buy clause. Marc Guiu also remains part of the team, although largely forgotten.
Then, there is the impending arrival of Emmanuel Emegha. Chelsea already have a deal in place with Strasbourg for their captain.
At the same time, Chelsea have also been linked with some forwards who could be signed this summer. If that scenario plays out as well, it would be better for the Blues to offload some underperforming players in that position to balance their books.
On that note, Newcastle United seem to be interested in a Chelsea striker. But contrary to belief, it is not Jackson. Instead, according to Ben Jacobs of GIVEMESPORT, the Magpies might make a move for Delap. The journalist has stated:
“Nicolas Jackson is going to return [to Chelsea], the obligation to buy was always near impossible [for Bayern Munich], but links with Newcastle or new ones at this stage are wide of the mark. If Newcastle are going to raid Chelsea for a striker it would more likely be Delap than Nico Jackson as of now.”
Liam Delap’s Chelsea career so far
Delap was handed the primary number nine role at Chelsea when he joined the club before this campaign. However, fast forward to today, the English youngster hasn’t fully lived up to expectations. Not even close.
In fact, Pedro is currently preferred over him to lead the line in the majority of matches. Delap has scored three goals and provided five assists in 44 appearances for Chelsea.
Notably, injuries have played a role in Delap’s lacklustre performances for the Blues. That said, this might not be enough to keep him at Stamford Bridge, as the club could have to make some difficult decisions in the near future after a frustrating season.
Delap is not Chelsea’s only striker being linked with an exit
There have been rumours about the potential departure of Pedro, who has already been linked with Barcelona. If that move goes through, it is unlikely that Chelsea will let any more forwards leave, at least until they sign some new faces.
Moreover, Jackson’s future is also uncertain, and the Blues might try to offload him as well. So, there are still many ifs and buts before any questions regarding a potential transfer for Delap arise. Let’s wait and see what the future holds for Chelsea’s number nine.
On the other hand, it remains to be seen if the Blues end up signing another forward. Incidentally, Newcastle United’s Nick Woltemade has been linked with a move to Chelsea recently.
