Paul Merson has urged Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap to join Manchester United or Aston Villa ahead of Chelsea.
The Blues are set for another busy summer and could look to fund their moves in the market by selling as many as seven or eight players.
Chelsea face a critical window with the club looking to sign a striker, centre back and right footed attacker to improve Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Merson urges Delap not to join Chelsea
A striker is a priority for the Blues as they desperately need an alternative for Nicolas Jackson, and Chelsea have been strongly linked with Delap who has 12 League goals.
Maresca’s men will come to face to face with Delap as they host Ipswich on Sunday, and they will need to do a better job of containing him than they managed in December when they lost 2-0 at Portman Road.
Delap is believed to have a release clause of £30m if Ipswich get relegated and Maresca has praised the striker in the build-up to Sunday’s game.
Chelsea are said to have put in a lot of work behind the scenes on convincing Delap to join the club, but Merson has advised the 22-year-old not to move to Stamford Bridge.
“It’s not always about the money, it’ll be about he’s [Delap] a young kid, what game suits him, what team suits him for the way he plays and the chances he gets,” he told Sky Sports.
“For me, who ticks the box would be Aston Villa. Big pitch, they play on the counter attack as well, so teams come and have a go at Aston Villa, I don’t mean that disrespectfully. But they [opposing teams] will have a go at them.
“I just think with a bigger club, like Chelsea or Arsenal, Man City, they sit 10 behind the ball. I think Man United would be a good fit, I think Man United would be a brilliant fit for him.
“He’s willing, he makes good runs, he’s strong, he can hold the ball up and he can score goals.”
Paul Merson has urged Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap to join Manchester United or Aston Villa ahead of Chelsea.
The Blues are set for another busy summer and could look to fund their moves in the market by selling as many as seven or eight players.
Chelsea face a critical window with the club looking to sign a striker, centre back and right footed attacker to improve Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Merson urges Delap not to join Chelsea
A striker is a priority for the Blues as they desperately need an alternative for Nicolas Jackson, and Chelsea have been strongly linked with Delap who has 12 League goals.
Maresca’s men will come to face to face with Delap as they host Ipswich on Sunday, and they will need to do a better job of containing him than they managed in December when they lost 2-0 at Portman Road.
Delap is believed to have a release clause of £30m if Ipswich get relegated and Maresca has praised the striker in the build-up to Sunday’s game.
Chelsea are said to have put in a lot of work behind the scenes on convincing Delap to join the club, but Merson has advised the 22-year-old not to move to Stamford Bridge.
“It’s not always about the money, it’ll be about he’s [Delap] a young kid, what game suits him, what team suits him for the way he plays and the chances he gets,” he told Sky Sports.
“For me, who ticks the box would be Aston Villa. Big pitch, they play on the counter attack as well, so teams come and have a go at Aston Villa, I don’t mean that disrespectfully. But they [opposing teams] will have a go at them.
“I just think with a bigger club, like Chelsea or Arsenal, Man City, they sit 10 behind the ball. I think Man United would be a good fit, I think Man United would be a brilliant fit for him.
“He’s willing, he makes good runs, he’s strong, he can hold the ball up and he can score goals.”
