Enzo Maresca is personally ‘putting pressure’ on Chelsea’s board to sign striker who plays like Erling Haaland
Posted By Joe E
April 19, 2025
12:57 am
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Chelsea are among several clubs who will be on the market for a new striker this summer.
The Blues have had a mixed season. They are on track to win the UEFA Conference League, but they are no longer the favourites to finish in the top five.
Enzo Maresca’s side are a point behind fifth-place Manchester City and three behind Nottingham Forest, who are currently fourth in the Premier League table.
Fifth place will get them Champions League football, but there is no guarantee that they will pip either City or Forest in the final six games of the season.
Irrespective of what happens, Chelsea will try to sign a new striker, and Maresca has decided on the player he wants at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Enzo Maresca is ‘putting pressure’ on Chelsea to sign Liam Delap
Liam Delap is going to be a wanted man in this summer’s transfer window.
The Ipswich Town striker has had an incredible season in the Premier League. He has scored 12 goals for the Tractor Boys, who are set to go down despite his best efforts.
TBR Football exclusively revealed earlier in April that Chelsea are leading the race to sign Delap, who is of interest to several other English clubs as well.
The striker will be available for around £40 million thanks to a release clause in his contract that can be triggered once Ipswich’s relegation is confirmed.
Now, GiveMeSport have claimed that Maresca is ‘putting pressure on influential figures at Stamford Bridge’ to bring Delap to Chelsea.
The Blues boss has previously worked with the forward and is said to be confident that he can make Delap even more prolific under him.
But, the report says that the decision-makers at Chelsea ‘are still deliberating over whether to follow Maresca’s instructions to recruit Delap’ this summer.
Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images
What Enzo Maresca has already said about Liam Delap
Delap has impressed a lot of people this season.
Yes, the Englishman has only scored 12 goals, but most people would agree that he would net many more if he played for a bigger side.
Maresca has hailed Delap’s performances as ‘fantastic’ and although he thinks comparisons to players like Harry Kane and Erling Haaland are a bit too soon, he admitted that the Ipswich star plays like them.
He said, as per The Athletic: “In terms of numbers, he’s doing fantastic. I think he’s scored 12 goals already. It’s not just in terms of his numbers. The way he plays and fights and is always ‘there’.”
Maresca further added: “To compare Liam with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, it’s a bit early. But in terms of style, he’s that kind of player. They are all real nines.
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