WHY CHELSEA ARE BETTING ON LIAM DELAP’S LONG-TERM STAMFORD BRIDGE FUTURE
Not for sale: Discover why Chelsea is blocking Everton's move for Liam Delap and Rosenior's plans for the Arsenal derby.
Chelsea have some thinking to do about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge this summer. They really don’t want to let him go, even though Everton are sniffing around, according to Football Insider. The club just isn’t interested in selling; they want Delap around for next season. He’s signed until June 2031, so there’s no rush.
Right now, Chelsea sits fifth in the Premier League after 27 games. They’re just ahead of Liverpool on goal difference. Last time out, they drew 1-1 at home with Burnley. Not exactly the result they wanted.
Chelsea only picked up Delap from Ipswich Town last year. He was brought in to give their attack a boost, add some competition, and deepen the squad up front. The 23-year-old has played 25 times in all competitions this season, with 18 league appearances. He’s only managed two goals and four assists so far – not exactly lighting it up – but there’s still time for him to find his feet.
Delap’s taken the long road already. He started at Derby County, then joined Manchester City’s youth setup in 2019. He only made six first-team appearances for City, but he got loan moves to Stoke, Preston, and Hull in the Championship to toughen up and get more minutes. Ipswich signed him permanently in 2024, and then Chelsea came calling.
So, what’s next after that frustrating draw with Burnley? Chelsea have to head to the Emirates to face Arsenal this weekend. After the Burnley game, Liam Rosenior didn’t mince words. He said, “We’ve basically thrown away four points in two home games. That’s not good enough for a club like this. It’s not enough to just play well; we have to win. I know what needs to change, and we’ll work on it this week. Every game is an inquest, win or lose. I’m learning which players you can rely on when things get tough, and we need to fix that fast.”
CHELSEA OPEN TALKS WITH JORGE MENDES FOR DORTMUND’S VERSATILE FORWARD KARIM ADEYEMI
Chelsea contact Jorge Mendes for Karim Adeyemi. See why Man United and Newcastle could hijack the €70m deal.
Chelsea reached out to Jorge Mendes, the well-known agent, hoping to land Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. But things aren’t simple. Manchester United and Newcastle United are also circling, and Chelsea might just miss out.
Adeyemi joined Dortmund in 2022, and he’s locked in there until 2027. Since then, he’s really made a name for himself in the Bundesliga, showing off his versatility as both a winger and a forward. This season, he’s mostly played as a second striker, netting 10 goals and providing five assists over 37 matches across all competitions.
Chelsea seems pretty impressed. They’ve already connected with Mendes to talk about a deal for the 24-year-old, and reports say they’re keeping talks pretty active. But it’s not just them; Man United have apparently made Adeyemi their top transfer target, and Newcastle are interested too.
Dortmund actually want to keep Adeyemi and has put a new contract on the table, but there’s a snag: his agents want a release clause worth €80 million (£69.7m). Dortmund aren’t willing to go that high. Instead, they’re open to selling for a bit less, around €65-70 million, or up to £61 million, in the summer.
That’s a price Chelsea can handle, but the German reports think it’s more likely Adeyemi ends up with Manchester United or Newcastle for a slightly lower fee, maybe €60-65 million (up to £56.6m). Mendes is also exploring backup options and could float Adeyemi’s name to Bayern or PSG.
Then there’s the whole Champions League angle. Chelsea’s status is in doubt for next season, and questions are swirling around manager Liam Rosenior’s future. That uncertainty doesn’t help their pitch. Meanwhile, United look set to finish high in the Premier League and secure Champions League football, which probably makes them a more appealing landing spot for Adeyemi right now.
CHELSEA TEENAGER ESTEVAO "DEVASTATED" AND IN TEARS FOLLOWING EARLY HAMSTRING WITHDRAWAL
Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester United. Estevao is injured, and the Blues are now scoreless in four straight games.
Liam Rosenior said Chelsea’s Estevao was “devastated” and in tears after getting injured during Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Manchester United. Estevao, just 18, started well but had to come off after only 16 minutes.
It looked like he hurt his hamstring while pushing forward against United. Rosenior put on Alejandro Garnacho to replace him, but Garnacho struggled too, going up against his old team.
After the match, Rosenior talked about Estevao, who’s desperate to make the World Cup squad this summer. “He was devastated; he was crying at half-time,” Rosenior explained.
“It looks like his hamstring. He was running through on goal and pulled it right then.”
Now Estevao’s future, even for Tuesday’s match at Brighton, looks uncertain. Enzo Fernandez, who left late in the game, is also in doubt, but Rosenior sounded more hopeful about him. “I think it was his calf,” he said. “I’m hoping it was just a cramp. We need him for Tuesday.”
Chelsea’s defeat is their fourth straight Premier League loss without finding the net. By the end of the weekend, they could be seven points away from the Champions League spots. United only needed one shot on target; Matheus Cunha scored in the first half, and that was enough.
“It’s so tough,” Rosenior said afterwards. “They had one shot on target when we were down to ten men.
“We just kept coming at them and hit the woodwork four times. I don’t want the players to get stuck thinking the world’s against us. We have to keep fighting.”
He went on: “We need to defend those moments better. We’re making small errors, and every time, the ball ends up in our net. That has to stop.
“It all comes down to results, and we should’ve won today. Every little thing adds up, but we’ll keep working hard.”
After Brighton, Chelsea go up against Leeds in the FA Cup semi-final next Sunday.
