Former Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill heaped praise on new signing Liam Delap, who joined the Blues this summer from Ipswich Town for £30 million ($41m).
Chelsea have been active in the transfer window with their biggest addition being Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. Both players are looking at winning their first title at the club when Chelsea face PSG in the Club World Cup final.
Delap has established himself as a regular starter under Enzo Maresca in the Club World Cup and
Cahill believes the young forward ‘makes the grade’ in terms of talent.
Liam Delap poses for a photo as Chelsea unveil him as a new signing ahead of the 2025/2026 season. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Speaking to Mirror Sport, via BetMGM, the 39-year-old said: “Obviously, the big one is Liam Delap. I think there was obviously a need to add a striker. Like everyone in the Premier League, you’re looking for goals, aren’t you? I think Cole Palmer’s been the top goalscorer in the last couple of seasons as a No. 10 midfielder. So, they needed some firepower up there, and I really like him.
“I’ve seen him a few times for Ipswich last season. He is an out-and-out No. 9, which I think is a good thing for Chelsea. He works hard, strong, physical, runs in behind, technically decent. So I’m very excited to see how he gets on there.”
Cahill added: “I think talent-wise, he certainly makes the grade. It’ll be interesting to see how he manages that step up into a huge club. No disrespect to Ipswich, I’m talking about an environment, so it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on there. But from the clips I’ve seen of him in the Club World Cup, he looks very exciting. I think that’s great business.”
Delap will be eager to put a smile on Cahill’s face when Chelsea take on Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday.
