Liam Delap is capable of being a leading striker at a top Premier League club and for £30million Chelsea are getting an absolute bargain.
That’s according to Adebayo Akinfenwa, who doesn’t understand why Arsenal didn’t ‘snap him up’ ahead of the summer transfer window.
Delap turned the heads of some of the top flight’s biggest clubs thanks to an impressive first campaign for Ipswich, scoring 12 goals for the Tractor Boys who suffered immediate relegation back down to the Championship.
The 22-year-old will stay put in the top tier, though, after completing a move to a Premier League giant.
Manchester United and Newcastle were among the clubs keen on the England Under-21 international, but Chelsea won the race to sign him.
Delap had a £30m release clause and held talks with United, Newcastle and Everton, but chose the blue of Chelsea as they could offer him Champions League football.
A move to Stamford Bridge reunites Delap with Blues manager Enzo Maresca, who he worked under during his early career at Manchester City.
But EFL legend Akinfenwa is stunned Arsenal weren’t also keen on the young Englishman and didn’t push to sign him.
The former striker even compared Delap to ex-Premier League star Diego Costa and said he’s exactly what Mikel Arteta needs to lead the line and their next title push.
“I don’t understand how Arsenal didn’t snap him up,” Akinfenwa told talkSPORT on The Sports Bar.
“ I don’t understand how, when you need a striker and you’re looking at the transfer market, £30m is chump change in today’s market.
“So when you’ve got somebody who, you’re talking about potential, they’re talking about being a Harry Kane replacement for England, about a proper No.9, I don’t understand how Arsenal didn’t buy.
“As soon as Ipswich got relegated, they should have been in there. I think it’s a no-brainer.
“I think he’s going to do well. I really do. I remember speaking to him when he was on loan at Stoke from Man City, and even back then, his whole demeanour, his aura, he was self-assured, confident, good stature.
“He’s got that old-school element where you know you’re in for a game when you’re up against Delap. So I think he’s going to do well.
“I think he’s got that Diego Costa sort of vibe about him, in regards to you’re going to know he’s there. So I think it’s very, very good business. I think £30m for Delap is very good business.”
A move to Chelsea also shows Delap’s desire to be a starting centre-forward at a top club at the top level.
He’d have potentially been second choice to Alexander Isak had he joined Newcastle, but at Chelsea perhaps he sees the same opportunity to start and immediately influence a top team, just as his former Man City youth teammate Cole Palmer saw in the Blues.
Akinfenwa agrees that Delap is not looking to be a benchwarmer after showing the Premier League what he can do.
“People talk about him being signed to be part of the squad, but I think he’s bigger than that,” said the former Wycombe Wanderers and AFC Wimbledon star.
“I think he’ll be thinking in his head, ‘I’m going to be the guy, I’m going to go and play’. He’s going to be the main man.
“When you look at it with how many games Chelsea are going to play, he knows he’s going to get a lot of game time and it is for him to take his opportunity.
“And then when you’ve got the calibre of players Chelsea have,he scored goals at Ipswich but how many more goals is he going to score when he’s playing with the likes of Cole Palmer and Reece James is putting balls into the box? He and Palmer played together in the youth team at City as well.
“I think it’s a good signing. I just don’t understand how, and I’ll say Arsenal because they’re the ones who are front runners for a striker, I don’t understand how they weren’t pushing for him.”
