Enzo Maresca has thrown his full assist behind new arrival Liam Delap, admitting that the striker is destined to turn out to be England’s first-choice quantity 9.
Delap, 22, is ready to make his Chelsea debut on the Membership World Cup after finishing a £30million change from Ipswich earlier this month.
The transfer sees Delap reunited with Maresca, who beforehand coached him at Manchester Metropolis’s academy. The ahead signed a six-year deal at Stamford Bridge after scoring 12 targets throughout 37 Premier League matches final season.
Chelsea start their Membership World Cup marketing campaign in opposition to Los Angeles FC on Monday, the place Delap may function for the primary time in blue.
Maresca, talking from the US, praised Delap’s potential: “I stated Liam will be England’s quantity 9 once we confronted Ipswich.
“Now he’s a Chelsea participant, I’m going to say once more, I don’t have any doubt that he will be sooner or later England quantity 9.
Chelsea paid as a lot for Liam Delap as LAFC’s complete squad is price 🤑 pic.twitter.com/8obPPxSDQk
— Soccer Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) June 16, 2025
“We gained with Manchester Metropolis’s Below-23s, he scored 24, 25 targets that season, so he is aware of precisely what we can provide him, I do know what Liam can provide us.
“It’s a win-win. We like Liam, Liam likes us, so it was a simple dialog.”
Delap selected to withdraw from England’s squad for the European Below-21 Championship with the intention to be part of up with Chelsea for his or her US tour.
Delap is one in every of 4 recent faces within the Chelsea setup heading into the match, alongside returning loanee Andrey Santos and new youth recruits Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Mike Penders.
Regardless of the fanfare surrounding Delap’s arrival, Maresca was tight-lipped about whether or not the striker would begin in opposition to LAFC, noting that he faces competitors from Nicolas Jackson for the lead function in assault.
