“He’s an Enemy on Sunday”: Chelsea Coach Enzo Maresca Praises ‘Fantastic’ Liam Delap But With a Catch
Chelsea overcame Legia Warsaw 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League quarterfinals, with Noni Madueke and young Tyrique George getting on the scoresheet. Now, ahead of their Premier League game against Ipswich Town, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca heaped praise on up-and-coming striker Liam Delap who is also heavily linked with the Blues.
Maresca was quick to turn his attention towards the weekend fixture against Ipswich, who look like they are going to be relegated sooner or later. For Chelsea, the goal is to reach the top five and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The Italian manager said that the Ipswich game will without a doubt be a difficult one and all their seven remaining games will be difficult. But their goal remains to get three points from all of them, starting with Ipswich.
Chelsea’s interest in Liam Delap
Despite some impressive performances from their main striker Nicholas Jackson earlier this season, Chelsea have continually been linked with strikers. In a recent interview, Maresca took it upon himself to praise the Senegalese forward. He said that he was very happy with Jackson and that the Senegalese fits his ideal striker choice.
Nevertheless, Chelsea are interested in Liam Delap, the son of former Premier League player Rory Delap. Liam Delap is in the midst of his first Premier League season and aside from the goals he has scored, the forward has also been impressive in the way he has almost been a one-man attack at times.
Maresca however was not very eager to discuss this before the game. When asked about Delap’s progression, he said, “In terms of numbers, he’s doing fantastic. I think he’s scored 12 [Premier League] goals already. It’s not just in terms of his numbers. The way he plays and fights and is always ‘there’. But he’s an Ipswich player. He’s an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future.”
Chelsea are informed that Liam Delap will be accessible for ÂŁ30 million this summer if Ipswich gets relegated from the Premier League. Prior to Ipswich’s victory over Chelsea in December, Maresca had already praised the 21-year-old as a player with significant potential. He subsequently scored and assisted both goals in a 2-1 victory and contributed another five league goals in 2025. Manchester City will receive ÂŁ6 million from any sale initiated by the release clause because of the sell-on clause included in his transfer. They also possess a buy-back clause but are not anticipated to exercise it.
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