Fabrizio Romano shares how likely Chelsea are to sign Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in January

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Going into the new year, one player who has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea is Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap.

In fact, it has already been claimed that Chelsea have held talks with Ipswich over signing Delap.

The striker has impressed for Kieran McKenna’s side this season, scoring six goals in 17 Premier League appearances.

One of those goals came against Chelsea‘s fierce London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with Ipswich managing to beat them 2-1 that day.

• READ MORE: The Premier League striker Chelsea should sign to replace Christopher Nkunku amid January exit reports

Chelsea unlikely to sign Liam Delap in January

As much as Chelsea seem to appreciate Delap, who was recently praised by Enzo Maresca, it does not look like they will be signing him next month.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, it is unlikely that the 21-year-old will leave Ipswich in the winter market.

Speaking about Chelsea and Delap on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “We should not underestimate what Enzo Maresca said about Liam Delap, the striker of Ipswich Town. Delap is a former Manchester City player; he used to work with Enzo Maresca. He knows Enzo Maresca well, so the feeling is very positive and Enzo Maresca speaking in public said how good Delap is in his opinion.

“Very good words about the player, saying he’s a fantastic guy, working hard on and off the ball, so he’s a modern striker in the idea of Enzo Maresca. Still very young so considered a very good player internally at Chelsea. Now, for the January transfer window, it looks unlikely to find a solution for Delap to leave Ipswich Town.”

Liam Delap signing would push Christopher Nkunku out of Chelsea

Right now, Nicolas Jackson is Chelsea’s first-choice striker, while Cole Palmer is the team’s No.10.

As a result, Nkunku has had to settle for a place on the bench. Nkunku is now being linked to Barcelona and several other teams, and the arrival of Delap would almost certainly spell the end for the 27-year-old at Chelsea.

For as good of a player Nkunku is, the Frenchman is not a natural No.9. His best position is just behind the striker, but he is never going to start there under Maresca because of the presence of Palmer.

Therefore, it may actually make sense to bring in a more physical and natural centre-forward like Delap and let Nkunku go.

Again, if the Blues do go on to land Delap, that is likely to be the outcome, as Maresca will not be able to give minutes to Jackson, Delap and Nkunku. The France international will have little choice but to find a new club, where he can gain more playing time.