Delap

CHELSEA showed that pre-season might be merely a formality as they rolled over AC Milan by four goals to one, lifting the coveted VisitMalta Weekender trophy for the second time in three days.

The Blues have made two supposedly decent teams look like amateurs, in what were hardly tough tests for Enzo Maresca’s young team before playing Crystal Palace in the opening game of their season.

2

2

New signing Jamie Gittens announced himself to the world against AC Milan for Borussia Dortmund two seasons ago, who may well be his favourite opponents as he gave their defence, Yunus Musah in particular, a torrid time today.

The electric Englishman was perhaps overshadowed by Estevao against Bayer Leverkusen, but put in a performance today that showed he could nutmeg a mermaid in a telephone box if ever put to the test.

It was his direct running and trickery that won the free-kick for Chelsea to open the scoring through an Andrei Coubis own goal on the stroke of the 5th minute, after a calamitous mix-up between the Italian and Mike Maignan in the Milan goal.

Moments later and Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto combined for the Brazilian to head home his fifth goal in five games.

A driving run from Neto down the right was followed by an inch perfect cross, met by a header that could’ve ripped a hole in the net to add Chelsea’s second in as many minutes.

He’s proving exceptional value for his £60m fee.

The Blues continued to dominate until the half-time whistle, helped out on the way by Milan defender Andrei Coubis’ afternoon going from bad to worse with a straight red card for bringing down Joao Pedro who was through on goal.

The Italian booted a water bottle as he stormed down the tunnel, and rightly so, you may not see a worse 17 minutes at Stamford Bridge this season than that.

Cole Palmer went close twice from first-half free-kicks, one that left the post rattling and another which left former Chelsea target Mike Maignan being ridiculed as a ‘s*** Robert Sanchez’.

The Blues’ number ten almost went on to recreate Gus Poyet’s famous 1999 ‘scissor volley’ minutes later, but his effort just sailed over the bar.

Unsurprisingly, it was Rafael Leao who lead the AC Milan charge.

He was denied by Robert Sanchez, Tosin and Reece James before finally beating the Spanish stopper, only to see the offside flag raised on the near side.

Half-time brought the introduction of six-time Champions League winner, Ballon D’or winner and Swansea part-owner Luka Modric into the middle for Milan.

The Croatian was left chasing the shadows of Chelsea’s young and energetic midfield throughout the second half, his only highlight being a tame shot claimed by Robert Sanchez. 

After the disastrous news that future captain Levi Colwill required surgery on an ACL injury, Enzo Maresca will have winced as Trevoh Chalobah was forced off with a knock in the 56th minute and replaced by Josh Acheampong,

Milan grew into the game in the second half, and simply had to score when Yunus Musah rolled the ball past Robert Sanchez before Reece James arrived on the scene to put that fire out.

Expectedly, a flurry of Chelsea changes came with 30 minutes to go, and unsurprisingly it was teenage prodigy Estevao replacing Cole Palmer that drew the biggest cheer at Stamford Bridge.

It took the 18-year-old exactly five minutes to be involved in another Chelsea goal, as he was brought down inside the box, allowing Delap to rifle a penalty into the bottom left corner.

The rest of his touches brought an expectant gasp out of everyone in the stadium, as he danced and dazzled with fancy footwork in front of the Matthew Harding stand.

AC Milan got a consolation goal, courtesy of Youssaf Fofana who smashed the ball past Robert Sanchez at the near post with 20 minutes to go, assisted by Alexis Saelemaekers.

Just when fans thought that would be game, set, and match, Chelsea added a fourth and final goal.

Andrey Santos’ perfectly weighted ball into the path of Liam Delap allowed the English striker to make it a brace with a fine finish into the bottom left corner. 

Liam Delap was one of this summer’s most-wanted strikers.

The 22-year-old scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League games for Ipswich, with his tantalising £30m release clause attracting numerous suitors after the club was relegated back to the Championship.

He was given permission to speak to clubs in May, with Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest all showing serious interest while Manchester City also held a buy-back option on their former player.

But it was Chelsea who won the race for his signature and, speaking before the Blues’ final Club World Cup group game against Es Tunis on Wednesday, Delap has revealed why – including the pull of Europe and rejoining some familiar faces.

“You never know if it is going to be the right decision but you’ve just got to go with your gut and hope it works out,” he said. “You’ve got to take your time. I took a few days to speak to people and decide my future.”

One of those people he consulted was Chelsea’s star attacker Cole Palmer, who he first played with at Manchester City at the age of 15.

Delap added: “I asked him what I needed to ask him, he told me what I needed to know. But I don’t like too much information. Ultimately it was my decision so I kind of just want my head to be clear.”

Palmer has become the poster boy for Chelsea after two sensational seasons and Delap was asked if he hopes to emulate his former academy team-mate.

“Yeah, of course, that’s the goal,” he said. “I think we both had similar positions and he’s gone and smashed it so hopefully I can also.”

Reports in May suggested Manchester United were front runners to sign Delap but their Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, and a poor league campaign, left them without European football next season – with Chelsea’s Champions League qualification playing a part in Delap’s decision.

“It wasn’t the be all and end all because I was also looking towards future seasons but also it helps,” he said.

The son of former Stoke City and Derby County midfielder Rory Delap launched his career at Manchester City under now-Chelsea manager Maresca. He scored 20 goals and won the PL2 player of the season – as he fired the Italian’s Under-21s squad to the title in 2020/21.

“I’ve got a good relationship with the manager,” he said of Maresca. “I know how he plays. I’ve played in this system before. It’s very similar now but with little tweaks. I know a lot of the players here and the project of the club, how they see the future. That’s what excited me.”

Maresca has previously revealed it was Delap’s decision to take the club’s so-called “cursed” number nine shirt.

When asked whether he believes in the curse, which counts Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Romelu Lukaku, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres among its supposed victims, Delap replied: “No, I’m not that type of person.

“It’s something that people talk about but it doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s something that’s related to strikers so I chose it.”

One of Jackson’s long-time critics is former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, who featured on the TV broadcast of the game on Dazn.

He said: “[It’s an] unbelievable, stupid, stupid stupid mistake, I don’t know what is going through his head. You come into the game at 2-1 down and your team needs you and he does that.

“He did that at Newcastle, a very important game we needed to win to get to the Champions League. You can’t keep making mistakes. I don’t care what his frustration is, it is massive club, Chelsea Football Club.

“If you are annoyed that Delap is going to be the competition with you, if you are a big player you have to embrace it. We can become successful together as a team.

“Maresca must ask do I still trust this guy or do I stick with the player I brought into the football club, Delap? If he doesn’t trust him then it is time for Delap to start the game.

“It is the competition he is not embracing, he wants to be the only guy in the club. No, healthy competition is important. If he is not ready for it he shouldn’t be at Chelsea Football Club.”

Cucurella defended his team-mate, saying: “He’s very sad. He tried to win the ball, had the bad luck that he kicked his leg and that’s it. He’s a young player with a lot of quality but maybe needs to improve a little bit in these things.

“But he has to learn. After the manager spoke, he said sorry, he didn’t do it on purpose. He’s a very important player for us.”

Chelsea striker Liam Delap and Arsenal defender Myles Lewis-Skelly are among six nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez, former Cherries defender Dean Huijsen, Arsenal winger Ethan Nwaneri and Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers make up the shortlist.

Delap, who joined Chelsea from Ipswich in a £30m deal earlier this month, scored 12 goals in the Premier League last season as the Tractor Boys were relegated to the Championship.

Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for Arsenal and scored on his England debut earlier this year against Albania.

Team-mate Nwaneri, 17, scored nine times in 37 appearances for the Gunners last term.

Spain international defender Huijsen earned a move to Real Madrid for his stellar performances for Bournemouth last season, while Hungarian full-back Kerkez is attracting attention from Premier League champions Liverpool after his fine performances for the Cherries.

Rogers contributed 14 goals and 15 assists as Aston Villa narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification.

The winner of the award will be announced on 19 August at a ceremony in Manchester.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says he has no doubt new striker Liam Delap will become a “future England number nine” as he prepares to make his Blues debut at the Club World Cup.

The 22-year-old forward joined in a £30m deal from Ipswich earlier in June to reunite with his former Manchester City academy manager.

Delap, who signed a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances last term.

Chelsea face Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opener on Monday (20:00 BST) in Atlanta.

When asked about Delap, who pulled out of England duty for the European Under-21 Championship to join Chelsea in the United States, Maresca said: “I said Liam can be England’s number nine when we faced Ipswich.

“Now he is a Chelsea player, I’m going to say again, I don’t have any doubt that he can be in the future England number nine.

“We won with Manchester City’s Under-23s – he scored 24, 25 goals that season – so he knows exactly what we can give him, I know what Liam can give us. It’s a win-win. We like Liam, Liam likes us, so it was an easy conversation.”

Delap is among four new players in Chelsea’s squad, along with returning loanee Andrey Santos and new teenage signings Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Mike Penders.

But Maresca explained Delap will have to compete with fellow striker Nicolas Jackson to earn a starting place and refused to say whether he will start at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

He also explained, without directly being asked about it, that the club needs a new left winger after Chelsea paid a £5m penalty fee not to sign Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho, adding: “Jadon is not with us. So for sure that is a position that probably we need to do something.

“Also because, Misha [Mudryk] is not with us. At this moment we have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto] and Ty [George] as proper wingers. So for sure something is going to happen.”

The Blues are expected to rekindle their interest in Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens as the transfer window re-opens on Monday, having had a £42m bid rejected for the 20-year-old just before the Club World Cup.

They also made an approach for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Maresca insists he still has faith in the likes of Robert Sanchez. He explained: “Robert is the number one, we have Filip as number two.

“Penders joins us in the next few weeks to analyse, judge him and take a final decision. Then for Maignan or different players, I don’t think it’s worth talking about them.”

Liam Delap has not been selected in England’s Under-21 squad for this month’s European Championship.

The 22-year-old has just completed a £30m move from Ipswich to Chelsea and is now expected to travel to the United States with his new club for the Club World Cup.

Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham is in the squad, despite interest in the midfielder from German side Borussia Dortmund, who will also take part in the Club World Cup which runs from 14 June to 13 July.

The U21 Euros will take place across eight host cities in Slovakia from 11-28 June.

More to follow.

Barcelona want to sign Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, Liverpool are ready to submit a bid for Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, while Everton eye Brighton’s Matt O’Riley.

Barcelona have opened talks with Arsenal and Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, 31, over a free transfer when his contract expires in June. (Sun), external

Liverpool are preparing to make a formal bid for Bournemouth’s Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez, 21, who has already agreed to the move and is valued by the Cherries at more than £40m. (GiveMeSport), external

Liverpool have failed with two offers for Bayer Leverkusen’s German playmaker Florian Wirtz, 22, and may have to offer England Under-21 pair Harvey Elliott, 22, and Jarell Quansah, 22, in part-exchange. (Kicker via Mirror), external

Ipswich and England Under-21 striker Liam Delap, 22, has completed the first part of his medical over a £30m move to Chelsea. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Everton are interested in Brighton midfielder Matt O’Riley, 24, but are unsure if the Seagulls will sell the Denmark international (Sky Sports), external

Former Napoli, Chelsea and Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri, 66, is close to returning for a second spell as Lazio head coach. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a fee worth 10m euros (£8.43m) to sign 31-year-old Netherlands goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Brentford. (Sky Germany), external

Brentford have agreed an initial £12.5m deal, rising to £18m, with Liverpool for Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, 26, to replace Flekken. (Sky Sports), external

Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi, 49, will make a decision by Wednesday at the latest on whether to accept an offer to become Al-Hilal boss in time to lead the Saudi Pro League side at this month’s Fifa Club World Cup. (Rudy Galetti), external

Barcelona sporting director Deco said they are not looking for a new striker after links with Sporting’s Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, who is also being tracked by both Arsenal and Manchester United. (A Bola via Mirror), external

Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, 33, says he is “not worried” about his position at Barcelona, who have been linked with Espanyol’s Spain stopper Joan Garcia, 24. (Forbes), external

As ever with these situations, Manchester United can draw a positive out of a negative.

They felt earlier this week it was coming towards the end game in their pursuit of Delap, and it was between them and Chelsea. Now they know they have lost out.

The positive is, with the decision made, they can move on. That is in stark contrast to 2022, when then manager Erik ten Hag delayed for months in an ultimately fruitless attempt to sign Frenkie de Jong and United ended up panicking at the end of the transfer window and spent £150m on Casemiro and Antony.

But that does not answer the pertinent question: who do they try for now?

Delap fitted their template of an improving, hungry young player, with scope to reach a high standard – at a set fee.

Rasmus Hojlund – who is four days younger than Delap – fitted the same criteria, apart from the last one. And it has not worked out.

Nothing I have seen on their post-season trip to Asia makes me feel United have the answer to their goalscoring issues within the club. In fact, it is quite the opposite.

The ‘safe’ but expensive options are Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. But Mateta is 27 and Mbeumo will be at the Africa Cup of Nations for a month with Cameroon.

After that, it is a risk.

Former United striker Danny Welbeck scored 10 goals in the Premier League at the age of 34. Is there any merit in bringing him back and taking some of the pressure off Hojlund – or has Ruben Amorim concluded the 22-year-old Denmark international will never be good enough?

If so, it is back to Europe to sign another promising forward with no guarantee it will work.

Manchester City move for £55m midfielder, Manchester United and Newcastle eye Premier League forwards and a Bellingham could be off to Germany.

Manchester City are ramping up their pursuit of AC Milan and Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, 26, who, is expected to command a fee of more than £55m. (Mail), external

Brazil midfielder Casemiro, 33, and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, are among the players Manchester United want to move on as they look to significantly reduce their squad for next season. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Manchester United have held talks with Brentford and Cameroon forward Bryan Mbeumo, 25, who is valued at around £50m. (Talksport), external

Newcastle United are holding showdown talks with England Under-21 forward Liam Delap, 22, as they look to convince the Ipswich Town player to join them instead of Everton, Manchester United or Chelsea. (TeamTalk), external

Newcastle also have a serious interest in Brighton’s Brazil forward Joao Pedro, 23. (i Paper – subscription needed), external

Chelsea have discussed a move for Eintracht Frankfurt’s 22-year-old French forward Hugo Ekitike. They also have significant interest in Sporting’s Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, and Ipswich’s Delap. (Independent), external

Eintracht Frankfurt value Chelsea-target Ekitike at £84m, albeit with a negotiable payment structure. (Athletic), external

Sunderland’s 19-year-old English midfielder Jobe Bellingham is in Germany for transfer talks with Eintracht Frankfurt – two days after helping his club win promotion. Borussia Dortmund – who brother Jude played for – and Leipzig are also interested. (Sky Sports), external

Manchester United want Wolves and Portugal right-back Nelson Semedo. The 31-year-old will be a free agent this summer. (Football Transfers), external

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has confirmed Liverpool’s “concrete” interest in 22-year-old Germany attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz. (Sky Sport Germany – in German), external

Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna says they have been working on a deal to sign Belgium midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 33, for some time and “can see the finish line”. His contract at Manchester City expires next month. (Rai News – in Italian), external

Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Manchester United have all shown concrete interest in signing AC Milan and Portugal forward Rafael Leao, 25, this summer. (Teamtalk), external

Newcastle have decided against taking up the option to extend 33-year-old former England striker Callum Wilson’s contract but have entered negotiations about a new incentive-based deal. (Athletic – subscription needed), external

Ligue 1 newcomers Paris FC are interested in signing 35-year-old Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye, whose contract at Everton expires next month. (Foot Mercato – in French), external

Newcastle among clubs set to hold talks with Liam Delap but Manchester United lead race to sign Ipswich striker, Manchester City will battle Liverpool for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez.

Newcastle United are among the clubs set to hold talks with Ipswich Town’s 22-year-old English striker Liam Delap this week. (Talksport), external

Manchester United lead the race to sign Delap but a defeat in the Europa League final and consequential inability to offer him European football next season would hand Chelsea the advantage. (ESPN), external

Manchester City will battle Liverpool for 21-year-old Bournemouth and Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez. (i paper – subscription required), external

Brighton have agreed a deal to sign 27-year-old French defender Olivier Boscagli on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven. (Sky Sports), external

Liverpool have received enquiries from the Saudi Pro League over 25-year-old Uruguay forward Darwin Nunez, Portugal forward Diogo Jota and Colombia winger Luis Diaz, both 28. (Sky Germany), external

Manchester United are set to proceed with paying Wolves the £62.5m release clause in instalments for 25-year-old Brazil forward Matheus Cunha. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Manchester United are also hoping they can tempt Sporting and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26, to sign for them this summer. (L’Equipe – in French) , external

Aston Villa are not planning to stand in the way of Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 32, if it becomes clear he wants to leave Villa Park. (Givemesport) , external

Chelsea are understood to have opened talks with Ajax over a potential transfer deal for Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato, 19, who is also a target for Liverpool and Arsenal. (Caughtoffside) , external

Barcelona have reached an agreement with Brazil forward Raphinha over a new deal that will keep the 28-year-old at the club until June 2028. (Fabrizio Romano) , external

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo might leave at the end of the season because of internal tensions at the club. (Footmercato – in French) , external

Leicester City are poised to sack manager Ruud van Nistelrooy and are in advanced talks to appoint former Southampton boss Russell Martin. (Football Insider) , external