Memories of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Romelu Lukaku still weigh heavily on the minds of Chelsea fans, but with the arrival of Liam Delap, the question of who should lead the line for Enzo Maresca next season is suddenly one that provokes real intrigue.
The club has already banked approximately £36m from the competition and stands to earn more should they progress against Benfica on Saturday.
However, the combination of an untimely suspension and soaring temperatures has forced Maresca to test the depth of his attacking ranks earlier than expected.
IT'S TWO! JUST THAT FAST FOR THE BLUES!@ChelseaFC with two goals in two minutes!Catch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game. Free. | t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #ESTCHE pic.twitter.com/FbVPWuIGEn
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 25, 2025The England youth international marked his debut with an assist in the opener against Los Angeles FC, then produced a calm finish against Esperance on Tuesday night local time, offering a glimpse of what Chelsea paid £30m for.
“We expect to progress quickly with Liam,” Maresca said. “The reason why is because we know him, and he knows us and the way we want to play.”
“I spent five years at City and every game we were in that position,” he said. “I’ve got a good relationship with the manager. I know how he plays. I’ve played in this system before.”
A red card against Flamengo in Philadelphia, combined with a domestic ban, means that he will miss the Blues’ Premier League season opener against Crystal Palace as well as the upcoming Club World Cup meeting with Benfica, having been forced to sit out the game against Esperance.
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That lapse in concentration handed Delap a golden opportunity.
His 12 league goals last season for Ipswich saw him outperform his expected goals tally (xG) by 2.7.
While both players clearly have value, Delap appears to be the more clinical of the two.
While his stats so far don’t suggest that he is a generational talent, they do reflect a player who has absorbed the demands of senior football in a way that Chelsea’s young squad could benefit from.
That scrutiny is something Jackson is still learning to handle. His red card against Flamengo drew sharp criticism from pundits, including Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel, who described it as a “stupid mistake”.
While the 24-year-old has shown flashes of what is required from a modern-day forward, he must add maturity to his game to justify starting in high-pressure matches.
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The Eintracht Frankfurt striker finished last season with 23 Bundesliga goal involvements. However, Frankfurt are reportedly holding out for €100m (£85m), and tactically, Ekitike often operates as a wide forward or second striker – less of a natural fit for Maresca’s structured, centralised No 9 role.
He may not have the flair of Ekitike or the versatility of Jackson, but he offers a rare commodity at Stamford Bridge: simplicity.
Whether or not Chelsea go deep in the Club World Cup, Delap’s emergence feels timely.
In a team seeking greater consistency, Delap may be the forward around whom Maresca can build.
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