Urging Delap to Join Chelsea and Maresca Joy

Chelsea icon Frank Sinclair has exclusively told GIVEMESPORT that he is taking some of the credit for Liam Delap edging towards completing a switch to Stamford Bridge as he told the Ipswich Town star to make west London his preferred destination ahead of the summer transfer window.

Fresh from winning the UEFA Conference League earlier this week, resulting in the Blues becoming the first side to get their hands on all five major European trophies, head coach Enzo Maresca has moved to within touching distance of providing current first-choice frontman Nicolas Jackson with fresh competition.

Delap is preparing to join Chelsea in a £30million deal in the aftermath of suffering relegation to the Championship with Ipswich – leading to the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United, Everton, Nottingham Forest, AC Milan and Juventus being informed that they have been beaten to his signature – and Sinclair is adamant he has made the correct choice.

Sinclair Talked to Delap About Switch to Blues

Frontman is close to completing move to Stamford Bridge

Sinclair made more than 200 appearances in a Chelsea shirt and, having met Delap earlier this month, has revealed that he urged the England under-21 international to embark on a fresh challenge at Stamford Bridge instead of entertaining the possibility of taking his career in an alternative direction.

The striker held face-to-face discussions with Manchester United executives and also had conversations about the project on offer at Everton as they prepare to move into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, but he has decided that he wants to seal a switch to west London as Maresca’s charges prepare to return to the Champions League.

Chelsea perhaps should be thankful to Sinclair as he attempted to persuade the sought-after marksman to follow in his footsteps by joining Chelsea when they had a chance encounter. The 53-year-old, speaking exclusively to GIVEMESPORT in association with betting sites, said:

“I’ve always liked him as a player, having seen him playing for the under-21 side at Manchester City years ago. He stood out to me at that level. You knew that there was a top player in there, and he is starting to demonstrate that now.

“The priority in the transfer window is to make sure Chelsea have a better team to tackle the Premier League. It is quite obvious that conversations have been had about a centre forward for a while now. There have been links over the last 18 months with Victor Osimhen and, more recently, with Viktor Gyokeres, who I think is a fantastic player at Sporting.

“Chelsea definitely need a centre forward. I think Nicolas Jackson only takes this team so far. I believe he needs help in that department because he has had injuries throughout the last two seasons and not been a consistent performer.”

Sinclair Proud to Have Made History in Europe

West Londoners became first side to win all five continental trophies

When Delap’s move to Chelsea is completed, he will be joining a group of players still celebrating after adding to the trophy cabinet ahead of travelling to the United States for the Club World Cup. The Blues managed to overturn a first half deficit to beat Spanish outfit Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final.

The 4-1 victory – courtesy of goals from Enzo Fernandez, Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo – allowed the west Londoners to follow in West Ham United’s footsteps and become the second English side to win the competition, while it was also the first piece of silverware lifted since Roman Abramovich’s trophy-laden reign came to an end in May 2022.

Having been a member of the side that won the European Cup Winners’ Cup 27 years ago, Sinclair is proud to have played his part in Chelsea making history and also feels that Maresca’s decision to bring captain Reece James off the bench at half-time changed the course of the encounter in Poland.

The former central defender, who is now an academy coach at Burnley, added: “Clinching silverware was a brilliant ending to the season. I think it was key, however they did it, to get into the Champions League as well.

“It was a scary start because the first half wasn’t great, but you have got to give credit to Real Betis for how they approached the game. I thought they were really aggressive in their press and counter-attacked really quickly. They probably could have gone further ahead.

“I think the key change was bringing on Reece James. He brought a lot of composure and leadership skills to the team, which I thought they lacked in the first half. He played his part in it and Cole Palmer came alive in the second half, doing what he has been doing since he joined the football club.”

Maresca Praised After Successful First Term

Tactician secured Champions League qualification and silverware

Sinclair also feels that Maresca can look back on his maiden campaign in the Chelsea hot-seat with satisfaction, having added to the trophy cabinet and successfully sealed a return to the Champions League thanks to a narrow victory over Nottingham Forest on the final day of the domestic season.

The Italian tactician was chosen as now-United States boss Mauricio Pochettino’s successor after guiding Leicester City to the Championship title last term, and he has proved any doubters wrong after there was initially some scepticism due to his lack of experience in the top flight.

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“I think the Chelsea fans believe in him, especially after getting silverware,” insisted Sinclair. “He is trying to create a winning culture with a lot of players that have not experienced winning competitions, which is always difficult to do. This will help him, give him that trust and a little bit more belief from the players in what he is trying to achieve.

“It was always going to be difficult at the beginning because of where Chelsea were at the time, with the squad not having a lot of experience and implementing young players into a group that was not used to winning and the pressures that come with playing for a club like Chelsea.

“I’m really pleased for him, but the expectations next season will be to finish third or higher and keep improving. There is a lot of work to do in the summer to get the right players to supplement what they’ve already got.”

All statistics courtesy of Sofascore – correct as of 30/05/2025

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