John Obi Mikel has had a lot to say about Liam Delap following the striker’s move from Ipswich Town to Chelsea.
Delap chose to join Chelsea over Manchester United in a major boost to Enzo Maresca, who finished the 2024/25 Premier League season without an experienced striker.
The Blues were without Nicolas Jackson for their final game and only had 19-year-old Marc Guiu on their bench.
They have now signed Delap to give Maresca another option, but Mikel has doubts as to whether the Englishman is the answer.
John Obi Mikel says Enzo Maresca is responsible for Liam Delap’s development
For Mikel, whether Delap is a success or not at Stamford Bridge will come down to how Maresca handles him.
Speaking about Chelsea‘s acquisition of Delap in an interview with The Standard, the retired midfielder said: “I just hope that it’s going to be the right decision. I like Liam Delap. He’s a good young striker who works his socks off.
“Is he a proven goalscorer in the Premier League? Can he do it at a big club like Chelsea? That’s the question. It’s about how the manager works with him and develops him.”
The 22-year-old could make his competitive debut this month, with Chelsea competing at the Club World Cup.
Jackson will be expected to start against Los Angeles FC next Monday as Maresca tries to ease Delap in. But it is a tournament with a lot at stake. If the Senegal international finds himself struggling, it would not be a shock to see Delap thrown into the game.
The winners of the Club World Cup could end up banking almost £100m in prize money. Therefore, it is a competition that Chelsea will want to do well in.
John Obi Mikel wanted Victor Osimhen instead of Liam Delap
In an ideal world for Mikel, Chelsea would have signed his compatriot Victor Osimhen, a player the Blues have been interested in in the past.
“The fans and me, we would have liked to see a proven goalscorer, somebody who has done it in Italy, in Turkey, and could have come here and done it for the club straight away,” the Chelsea legend said in the same interview.
Chelsea tried to sign Osimhen last summer but could not agree personal terms with the Nigerian. He went on to join Galatasaray on loan instead and had an excellent season there.
In 41 appearances, the Napoli striker scored 37 goals. It is a hard tally to reach in England, but Mikel will now be hoping that Delap can do something similar.
