Liam Delap reveals why he turned down Newcastle and Manchester United to join Chelsea
Liam Delap has explained why he chose to join Chelsea instead of their Premier League rivals.
The Blues have signed the England striker after paying £30m for the 22-year-old. He became a hot property after Ipswich Town's relegation triggered a release clause in his contract.
Newcastle United held talks with Delap in hopes of making him their first signing of the summer, while Manchester United and Everton also expressed interest.
But it was Chelsea who won the race, with Delap citing the ambition of the club, the presence of head coach Enzo Maresca, and the squad’s existing quality as decisive factors.
Delap previously worked with Maresca during his early years at Manchester City, where the Italian was part of the coaching setup.
In his first interview since the move, Delap spoke about the belief within the Chelsea camp and his desire to win silverware.
“I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach,” Delap said. “It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies.
“I wanted to come here to win trophies. When I spoke to the club, everyone wanted to get back to the very top, and they have the quality and the players to do that.
“The hunger and desire to keep adding trophies, to take the club back to where it belongs - that is the main objective.”
Delap scored 12 goals in the Premier League last season and was nominated for the Young Player of the Year award. One of his standout performances came against Chelsea, netting in a shock win that likely helped solidify the Blues’ interest in bringing him to Stamford Bridge.