Liam Delap problem solved as Chelsea's £5m Jadon Sancho hit gives £30m man ideal welcome

Liam Delap will be able to take the number 19 at Chelsea, with set to vacate the shirt and make to Manchester United.

have reportedly reached an agreement with the Ipswich Town forward after activating his £30million release-clause. The 22-year-old is now set to to Stamford Bridge with the striker said to have been offered a six-year deal, following that took place earlier this week.

Delap hugely impressed in his first full season in the Premier League, despite Ipswich’s ultimate relegation to the Championship. Sporting the number 19 on his back, he scored on 12 occasions in 37 league appearances.

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The news that Sancho is to his parent club now frees up the shirt for Delap, if he so wants it, with Sancho having worn the number since he moved to the Blues on loan last summer.

Delap also wore the number 48 shirt throughout his stint with Manchester City, with that number also free at Chelsea. However, the idea of the striker wearing the same number he wore while making a name for himself in the Premier League, and the same one he has worn for England, will arguably be too tough of a perk to turn down.

Sancho, 25, is reportedly in line to leave west London when his contract runs out at the end of June, with a £5m blow consequently heading Chelsea's way. It's believed that a permanent move for Sancho failed after personal terms could not be agreed between Chelsea and the ex-Borussia Dortmund star.

However, this will mean Chelsea will be forced to fork out the hefty penalty charge of £5m to the Red Devils after they reneged on the pre-agreed obligation to buy the winger for £25m.

Sancho scored five goals and provided ten assists in 42 games for Chelsea. However, despite finding himself in and out of Enzo Maresca's side throughout the season, he scored the Blues' third goal in the 4-1 win over Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final.

Afterwards, he drew praise from the Italian. "Jadon Sancho, if we finished fourth, it’s because of Jadon, if we won tonight it’s because of Jadon," Maresca said. "Everyone is up and down a little bit, that’s part of the game.”

Sancho made 83 appearances for United after joining from Dortmund in the summer of 2021 for £73m after a series of fallouts with then manager Erik ten Hag. He now looks to be heading back to Old Trafford to potentially work under Ruben Amorim.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are set to accelerate their business in the transfer window once a swoop for Delap is wrapped up. Maresca's side have made an approach to AC Milan to sign French goalkeeperMike Maignan this summer, football.london understands.

Moves for Dortmund's 20-year English winger Jamie Gittens and Eintracht Frankfurt's French striker Hugo Ekitike are all thought to be of interest to the Blues.