Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has hailed new signing Liam Delap as a future “England number nine” as the 22-year-old striker prepares for his potential debut at the Club World Cup.
The Blues face Los Angeles FC in their tournament opener at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday at 8:00 PM BST.
Delap, who joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town in a £30m deal earlier this month, signed a six-year contract with the Premier League side.
The move reunites him with Maresca, his former manager at Manchester City’s Under-23s, where Delap scored an impressive 24 or 25 goals in a title-winning season. Last term, Delap netted 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances for Ipswich, showcasing his potential as a top-tier striker.
Speaking ahead of the LAFC clash, Maresca expressed unwavering confidence in Delap’s ability to lead England’s attack in the future. “I said Liam can be England’s number nine when we faced Ipswich, and now that he’s a Chelsea player, I’ll say it again—I have no doubt,” Maresca stated. “We know what we can give him, and he knows what he can give us. It’s a win-win.”
Delap, who withdrew from England’s European Under-21 Championship squad to join Chelsea in the United States, is one of four new faces in the squad, alongside returning loanee Andrey Santos and teenage signings Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Mike Penders.
However, Maresca cautioned that Delap will face competition from striker Nicolas Jackson for a starting spot, declining to confirm his lineup for Monday’s match.
Maresca also addressed Chelsea’s need for a left winger after the club paid a £5m penalty to avoid signing Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho. “Jadon is not with us, so that’s a position we need to address,” he said, noting that Mykhailo Mudryk is also unavailable.
The Blues currently rely on Noni Madueke, Pedro Neto, and Tyrique George as wingers, with renewed interest in Borussia Dortmund’s 20-year-old Jamie Gittens after a £42m bid was rejected.
Additionally, Maresca dismissed speculation about AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, affirming his trust in current number one Robert Sanchez and backup Filip Jörgensen. He noted that new signing Penders will be assessed in the coming weeks.