Chelsea’s striker situation looks very different from a year ago, when finding a reliable goalscorer was one of the club’s biggest concerns.
Joao Pedro has emerged as the leading option and enjoyed an encouraging pre-season, while Nicolas Jackson is back after his loan spell at Bayern Munich and could feature under Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea have also added experience with Danny Welbeck, alongside the pre-agreed arrival of Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg.
With competition for places increasing, however, Liam Delap’s future is now uncertain — and one European club appears ready to test Chelsea’s resolve.
Chelsea Receive Approach for Delap
Chelsea have received an approach from Como for Liam Delap, with the Italian club reportedly keen to make a move for the 23-year-old striker.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Como have registered their interest and submitted a formal proposal, although the exact value of the offer has not been revealed.
Delap, who was described as “brilliant” by Micah Richards, enjoyed an impressive 2024/25 campaign with Ipswich Town, scoring 12 Premier League goals before earning his move to Stamford Bridge.
His first season with Chelsea was considerably more difficult, with injuries restricting him to just one league goal. With Joao Pedro, Jackson, Welbeck and Emegha now competing for attacking positions, his route to regular minutes could become even harder.
Como could have an advantage in negotiations thanks to their existing relationship with Chelsea. The Serie A club recently signed Trevoh Chalobah and are managed by former Blues midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Chelsea are also understood to be considering a permanent sale rather than another loan, particularly with their foreign-player quota becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
