Chelsea trigger Delap's £30m release clause

Chelsea is set to sign Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap. They triggered his £30m release clause.

Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest showed interest in Delap. He became available for £30m after Ipswich's relegation. Manchester City also has a buy-back option on him.

The 22-year-old joined Ipswich from Manchester City last summer. The deal was worth up to £20m. This month, he received permission to talk to interested clubs.

Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna said, "Liam's looking at his options for next year." He added that the club supports Delap in this decision.

Delap prefers Stamford Bridge as his destination. Negotiations over personal terms are ongoing.

Chelsea recently won the UEFA Conference League trophy. They qualified for the Champions League last week. This gives Delap a chance to add to his one appearance in the competition with Manchester City in 2022.

Last season, Delap made 32 starts in the Premier League for Ipswich. He scored 12 goals during that time.

Ipswich finished 19th and were relegated at the end of the season. They are interested in loaning Chelsea striker Marc Guiu as a replacement for Delap.

Guiu scored six goals in 14 appearances for Chelsea this season. However, he missed most of 2025 due to a muscular injury. He returned as a late substitute during the Conference League final in Wroclaw.