There is little chance that Liam Delap will be Chelsea’s only attacking signing this summer.
Delap has agreed to join Chelsea from Ipswich Town, and confirmation of his move to Stamford Bridge is expected to be announced soon.
With a deal for the striker wrapped up, the Blues are now trying to sign a new winger. Chelsea are keen on Jamie Gittens, but the Borussia Dortmund star is not the only wide man on their radar.
The club are also thought to be interested in Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.
Chelsea prepared to pay Nico Williams’ release clause
Last month, journalist Simon Phillips shared that Chelsea had been in contact with Williams’ people about a potential transfer.
Since then, the Blues have informed the player’s agents that they are prepared to pay his release clause, according to Phillips’ latest update on Si Phillips Talks Chelsea.
Williams’ release clause is thought to be set at €58m (£49m) and has to be paid in one go. Chelsea may now be prepared to offer that, but the 22-year-old’s wages are still a problem.
It has been claimed that Williams’ representatives are demanding a £400,000-a-week contract, which would make the Spaniard Chelsea’s highest-paid player by some margin.
Chelsea could free up some funds by getting Jadon Sancho off their wage bill. The 25-year-old is set to return to Manchester United if he cannot agree a new deal with the Conference League winners.
Nico Williams’ 2024/25 league stats
Some Chelsea fans will be wondering if Williams is worth all of this trouble. It is understandable, as the Spain international was not the most productive attacker in La Liga this season.
| Nico Williams’ 2024/25 La Liga stats | Total |
| Appearances | 29 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 5 |
At 22, though, Williams has time to improve and is still one of the best one-v-one wingers in the world right now.
As per FBref, Williams is completing 3.43 successful take-ons per 90, which is one of the highest averages among his positional peers.
