Maresca's Bold Declaration: "Absolutely Confident" in Delap's Future Stardom

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has stopped short of confirming Liam Delap as his primary striker for the upcoming season, but believes the 22-year-old has the potential to become England's premier centre-forward.

Following an impressive stint in the Premier League with Ipswich Town, Delap had numerous suitors at the beginning of the summer transfer window. He ultimately chose Chelsea, who secured Champions League qualification on the final day of the season, with the Blues finalizing a £30 million ($40.8 million) transfer with Ipswich.

The acquisition of a striker was always in Chelsea's summer plans after Nicolas Jackson's underwhelming 2024-25 campaign. The Senegalese forward missed several matches due to injury and struggled with finishing when available, managing just 10 Premier League goals in 30 appearances last season.

Delap, who netted 12 goals in 37 matches for a team that eventually dropped to the Championship, will now vie with Jackson for a starting position. Maresca has clarified that he hasn't promised the new signing any guaranteed playing time.

"I never say to a player you are going to be first choice," Maresca stated before his team's Club World Cup opener against LAFC. "The message is always the same: you arrive, you work hard, you work more than the other No.9 and you can be first choice No.9. So the conversation with Liam was quite clear."

The Italian manager, who previously coached Delap at Manchester City's Elite Development Squad, emphasized that both parties understand what they can offer each other. While refraining from designating the 22-year-old as his preferred striker, Maresca clearly holds Delap in high regard and predicts international success for him.

"Before we faced Ipswich, [when] Liam was not a Chelsea player, I said that for me, potentially he can be England No.9," Maresca recalled. "He was not even with us. And for sure now that he's with us, I'm going to say again that I don't have any doubt that he can be in the future England No.9."

Though Delap has yet to represent the Three Lions at senior level, he has played for England across various youth categories, including the Under-21 team.