Como have made an initial approach for Liam Delap, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Serie A club have placed the 23-year-old Chelsea striker high on their attacking shortlist. The move comes days after Como completed Trevoh Chalobah’s transfer from Chelsea for a reported €30 million package.
Liam Delap Como move makes sense, but Chelsea must lower the price
Cesc Fàbregas wants another centre-forward to compete with Anastasios Douvikas, while reports expect Álvaro Morata to leave. Delap arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer after Chelsea triggered his £30 million release clause at Ipswich, where he scored 12 Premier League goals in 2024/25. His first Chelsea campaign produced two goals in 41 appearances, although Chelsea records 16 starts and 1,811 minutes across competitions.
Liam Delap Como interest exposes Chelsea’s valuation problem
There’s a straightforward football case for the move. Delap needs regular starts, and Como can offer a genuine route into the team. Yet Chelsea’s reported £50 million asking price looks difficult to justify after a season in which he scored twice. The figure would represent a huge jump on the £30 million Chelsea paid Ipswich only a year ago.
Chelsea should take the sensible route: £25 million to £30 million, or a loan carrying a structured obligation to buy. Delap remains 23, has significant England Under-21 experience, and his Ipswich numbers show that the finishing touch hasn’t simply vanished.
Liam Delap Como deal should reflect Chelsea’s squad squeeze
There’s another issue here. Chelsea have added Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck, while Nicolas Jackson remains in the squad, and Emanuel Emegha has joined the attacking group. That leaves Delap fighting through a crowded forward line, with little reason for Chelsea to block an exit if Alonso doesn’t see him as a regular starter. Alonso is reshaping a squad that finished 10th last season.
Read: £102.5m bid lands with 24 hours left as Chelsea draw line
For Liam Delap, Como could offer the minutes Chelsea cannot guarantee, but £50 million asks too much of the market. A structured £25 million to £30 million deal looks far more credible. That matters as the deadline approaches.
