Chelsea’s £30m Liam Delap signing has thrown Nicolas Jackson’s starting spot for next season into serious doubt.
The 2025 Conference League winners fought off interest from the likes of Manchester United, Everton, Newcastle United, Juventus, AC Milan and Bayern Munich to secure the 22-year-old’s future.
Despite Ipswich’s relegation, Delap performed admirably, netting 12 goals in 37 Premier League appearances this season.
This development means that Nicolas Jackson now has a direct rival to be the starting striker at Stamford Bridge, and the Senegalese forward should be worried about Delap’s brimming potential.
What does the Liam Delap signing mean for Nicolas Jackson?
Since moving to Chelsea in the summer of 2023, Jackson has enjoyed two years in West London without a consistent threat to his striking position.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Jackson endured a two-month injury that stunted his progress. He also went 13 games in all competitions without scoring, throwing his credentials under further scrutiny.
Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel bemoaned that Jackson “puts himself in good positions, but he’s not finishing, he’s not scoring enough goals.”
Interestingly, Maresca described Jackson as his “perfect No. 9” and labelled his side as a “completely different team” with him involved.
However, the fact that Delap still thrived in a desperately poor Ipswich side and Chelsea still managed to achieve a top-four finish, despite Jackson’s injury and goal-scoring drought, has created serious competition between the pair.
After his red card against Newcastle United, the 23-year-old will be suspended for Chelsea’s first game of the next Premier League season, providing Delap with the perfect opportunity to overtake his fellow frontman in the pecking order.
| Premier League stats 2024/25 | Jackson | Delap |
| Goals scored | 10 | 12 |
| Shots | 76 | 68 |
| Shooting accurary | 46.1% | 47.1% |
| Conversion rate | 13.2% | 17.7% |
| Big chances missed | 19 | 10 |
Last season’s numbers favour Delap, who boasts more goals, better shooting accuracy, a higher conversion rate, and fewer big chances missed. The imposing striker could be the answer to Chelsea’s cries for a more clinical figure up top.
The Englishman starts life in the capital with a clean slate, whilst a shortage of reliability and killer instinct still taints Jackson’s reputation. If Delap quickly begins the season, Jackson’s Chelsea career could be in trouble.
Enzo Maresca is a huge fan of Delap
Earlier this season, Enzo Maresca described Delap as ”fantastic” to TNT Sports. The Italian would have played an undoubtedly huge role in securing the youngster’s signature, as the pair worked together during their time at Manchester City.
Maresca pitched Delap’s alongside the world’s elite, admitting it’s too early for comparisons to Harry Kane or Erling Haaland, but he’s still a huge fan.
“To compare Liam [Delap] with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, I think it’s a bit early,” Maresca added. “But for sure, in terms of style, he’s that kind of player. They are all real nines. They are No. 9s inside the box.”
Delap offers a different profile to Jackson, as someone with more physicality and cutting edge. We are yet to see how Maresca’s system will work with a more classic frontman. It will be intriguing to see how this battle unfolds.