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Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca expresses complete confidence that the newly signed forward Liam Delap will evolve into a "future England number nine" as he gears up for his debut with the Blues at the Club World Cup.
The 22-year-old player made a £30m move from Ipswich at the beginning of June, reconnecting with his previous academy manager from Manchester City.
Delap, who has committed to a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, netted 12 goals across 37 appearances in the Premier League last season.
Chelsea is set to compete against Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opening match on Monday at 20:00 BST in Atlanta.
Regarding Delap, who opted out of the European Under-21 Championship to join Chelsea in the U.S., Maresca stated, "I mentioned Liam could be England's number nine when we played against Ipswich.
"Now as he joins Chelsea, I’ll reiterate that I firmly believe he has the potential to be the future England number nine.
"During our time with Manchester City's Under-23s, he scored around 24, 25 goals in a season, so he understands what we can provide him, and I know the contributions Liam can make for us. It’s mutually beneficial. We appreciate Liam, and he appreciates us, making the discussions quite straightforward."
Delap is one of four new additions to Chelsea's roster, alongside returning loanee Andrey Santos and new teen recruits Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Mike Penders.
However, Maresca noted that Delap will need to vie for a starting position with fellow striker Nicolas Jackson and did not confirm whether he would feature in the starting lineup at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Without being directly asked, he mentioned the necessity for a new left winger after Chelsea paid a £5m fee to avoid acquiring Manchester United's loanee Jadon Sancho, adding, "Jadon is not part of our squad. Therefore, that position is likely one we need to address.
"Additionally, Misha [Mudryk] is also unavailable. Currently, we have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto], and Ty [George] as our main wingers. Thus, we expect some actions to take place."
As the transfer window prepares to reopen on Monday, the Blues are anticipated to revive their interest in Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, having seen a £42m offer for the 20-year-old turned down just prior to the Club World Cup.
They also reached out regarding AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Maresca maintains trust in goalkeepers like Robert Sanchez. He clarified, "Robert is our number one, and Filip stands as number two.
"Penders will join us in the upcoming weeks for evaluation and assessment, leading to a final decision. As for Maignan or other players, I don't believe it’s worthwhile to delve into that."
The 22-year-old player made a £30m move from Ipswich at the beginning of June, reconnecting with his previous academy manager from Manchester City.
Delap, who has committed to a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge, netted 12 goals across 37 appearances in the Premier League last season.
Chelsea is set to compete against Los Angeles FC in their Club World Cup opening match on Monday at 20:00 BST in Atlanta.
Regarding Delap, who opted out of the European Under-21 Championship to join Chelsea in the U.S., Maresca stated, "I mentioned Liam could be England's number nine when we played against Ipswich.
"Now as he joins Chelsea, I’ll reiterate that I firmly believe he has the potential to be the future England number nine.
"During our time with Manchester City's Under-23s, he scored around 24, 25 goals in a season, so he understands what we can provide him, and I know the contributions Liam can make for us. It’s mutually beneficial. We appreciate Liam, and he appreciates us, making the discussions quite straightforward."
Delap is one of four new additions to Chelsea's roster, alongside returning loanee Andrey Santos and new teen recruits Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Mike Penders.
However, Maresca noted that Delap will need to vie for a starting position with fellow striker Nicolas Jackson and did not confirm whether he would feature in the starting lineup at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Without being directly asked, he mentioned the necessity for a new left winger after Chelsea paid a £5m fee to avoid acquiring Manchester United's loanee Jadon Sancho, adding, "Jadon is not part of our squad. Therefore, that position is likely one we need to address.
"Additionally, Misha [Mudryk] is also unavailable. Currently, we have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto], and Ty [George] as our main wingers. Thus, we expect some actions to take place."
As the transfer window prepares to reopen on Monday, the Blues are anticipated to revive their interest in Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, having seen a £42m offer for the 20-year-old turned down just prior to the Club World Cup.
They also reached out regarding AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Maresca maintains trust in goalkeepers like Robert Sanchez. He clarified, "Robert is our number one, and Filip stands as number two.
"Penders will join us in the upcoming weeks for evaluation and assessment, leading to a final decision. As for Maignan or other players, I don't believe it’s worthwhile to delve into that."
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