‘Wrong move’ – Chelsea tipped to sell Enzo Maresca’s £30m signing in summer transfer window

Pat Nevin believes Chelsea will look to sell Liam Delap this summer – and tipped one Premier League rival as the ‘right fit’ for the English striker.

Delap signed for Chelsea for £30million last summer, turning down approaches from Manchester United to move to Stamford Bridge after an impressive first campaign in the top flight with Ipswich Town.

However, his first season with the Blues has not gone according to plan, with injuries and the form of fellow summer signing Joao Pedro contributing to a lack of regular minutes.

The 23-year-old has scored just one goal in his 19 league appearances this season, with the arrival of Liam Rosenior, who he thrived under at Hull, yet to revitalise Delap’s fortunes.

Nicolas Jackson’s likely return from an unsuccessful loan spell at Bayern Munich will provide further competition for minutes next season, while the Blues have also been linked with an audacious bid for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.

And with that in mind, former Chelsea winger Nevin believes Delap could well be heading for the exit this summer, just one year after he joined the club.

‘The numbers aren’t looking great in terms of goals scored and assists and things like that, and they’re trying to find different positions for him, playing him slightly wider than you would normally when he is brought on,’ he told talkSPORTBET Casino.

‘I really like him as a player. I would love him on my team. When I was a player, I’d love a player to hit balls into space for.

‘Because he runs, and he stretches teams, and makes more space for yourself if you’re a creative midfielder. And I think the Chelsea fans have got a lot of time for him because he works hard.

‘You look back at the likes of Timo Werner, Chelsea fans were all right with him because he worked for them. He may not be the best player in the world sometimes.

‘I think Liam is a better all-round player than Timo Werner because there’s more technical stuff to his game. He’s also shown that he can score at this level.

‘Chelsea and him, the wrong move? It might actually be the case now. But there are some others coming in, you think of Nicolas Jackson coming back, so there is a pressure.

‘Chelsea will move in that position in the summer, they’ll do something, and they’ll adapt, and who knows what will happen with Chelsea in the summer. But certainly that centre-forward position is something to look at.’

Despite flattering to deceive this season, Delap’s age and profile will surely be an attractive proposition to several clubs looking for a number nine this summer.

And Nevin wonders whether Delap might follow the lead of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who left Chelsea last summer and has subsequently flourished under the watchful eye of David Moyes.

‘Delap reminds me of Conor Gallagher and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Different types of players, but a similar situation,’ he added.

‘Great player, fine player, but you’re not in the right place. So Kiernan goes up to Everton, and it is great and it is exactly what he wants and needs.

‘Everton need a centre forward, don’t they? So, in my dream scenario, Liam strikes me as the right fit for someone like Everton.

‘Looking forward, I don’t think it would hurt Chelsea, I don’t think it would hurt Everton in any way, and I don’t think it would hurt Delap if he did move to Everton and then was allowed to flourish. I’m only saying that because it’s what I want, because I want Everton to do well.’

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