Chelsea new signing Liam Delap ready to fight off competition from Nicholas Jackson

Chelsea secured the services of Ipswich striker Liam Delap after the Premier League season ended, triggering his relegation release clause of £30 million, with the striker now affirming his stance to fight off competition with Nicholas Jackson as the main striker for the club next season.

Delap is eager to make a statement after a standout debut for the Blues in the FIFA Club World Cup competition, where he registered an assist for Chelsea’s second goal in a commanding 2-0 win against MLS side Los Angeles FC.

Delap was brought on shortly after the 60-minute mark to replace Jackson, but wasted no time in announcing his presence as he provided an assist to Enzo Fernandez just minutes after stepping onto the pitch.

Jackson, now Delap’s direct competitor for the striker’s spot, contributed to the victory by setting up Pedro Neto’s opener, sending a positive signal for Chelsea, who now find themselves with a promising competition for the striker role.

Despite the perspective this may send among fans, 22-year-old Delap sees the battle for the number nine spot not as a rivalry but as a healthy challenge to improve.

Delap registered an assist for Chelsea’s second goal against Los Angeles FC in the CWC

“It is always good to have competition; this is football,” he said. “It is an incredible club, and it is always going to be incredibly hard, but you have to thrive off the competition.

“It’s a really happy feeling for me. I’m so excited to be here and to play my first game, and to be able to contribute is a good feeling. The team have welcomed me really well. I have only had a few sessions here, but I am excited for more.”

“When he was asked if the fans can expect to see more assists from him, he said: “Yes, of course, it is good to help the team, but I want to score some as well.”

The English under-21 forward could find integrating into the Chelsea family a bit easier because of his familiarity with Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, Cole Palmer, and Romeo Lavia from his days at the Manchester City academy together.

Jackson had been inconsistent in front of the goal, managing 10 Premier League goals in the 2024–25 campaign. Delap, on the other hand, found the net 12 times in a struggling Ipswich side that ultimately suffered relegation.