n8rngtd.topA report has shared how Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca really feels about a potential forward signing, with the club apparently seizing pole position to secure his services.
Chelsea short of striker options after Jackson and Guiu injuries
Both Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu will be sidelined for a significant period at Chelsea through hamstring injuries, leaving the west Londoners with precious few striking options to select from in the final third.
Chelsea now willing to make huge bid to sign star with £833m release clause
The Blues are prepared to make a huge bid for a defender.
By
Dominic Lund
Feb 17, 2025
Maresca played Cole Palmer as a false nine in their 3-0 defeat at Brighton last Friday, with Chelsea failing to register a single shot on target and proving ineffective in their attacking phases.
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Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
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Aston Villa (away) |
February 22nd |
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Southampton (home) |
February 25th |
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Leicester City (home) |
March 9th |
|
Arsenal (away) |
March 16th |
|
Tottenham (home) |
April 2nd |
Christopher Nkunku, who was reliably believed to be pursuing a Stamford Bridge exit in the January transfer window (Florian Plettenberg), is Maresca’s only real option in that area of the pitch.
On paper, the £195,000-per-week forward is hardly a bad choice, having scored 13 goals in all competitions this season, but even Palmer’s presence as a false nine against Fabian Hurzerler’s side couldn’t quite inspire Nkunku’s best form.
While Maresca backs the Frenchman as a solution to Jackson and Guiu’s absences, Chelsea’s boss insists that he isn’t their only point of call.
“Because of Nico and Marc’s situation, we are working and trying to find different solutions,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s striker shortage.
“Christo could be one of the solutions, but it’s not the only solution. It can be Christo, as he played the last game, and also different kind of players. For sure when you don’t have a proper nine who can be a threat always, you have to change not only the nine, also a little bit the way you want to play.
“I have said many times I consider Christo a very important player, and I have said since day one Christo is not a nine. Christo is an attacking midfielder, but we use him as a nine to find a solution.
“Christo is a completely different player to Nico on and off the ball, so we probably need to adjust something because the skills of the players are different.”
What Enzo Maresca thinks about Liam Delap with Chelsea in pole position
Ahead of the next Premier League campaign, co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, who oversee Chelsea’s recruitment strategy, will be looking to ensure that Maresca isn’t left in such a precarious position when it comes to centre-forwards at his disposal.
One of their top targets, according to various reports, is Ipswich Town star Liam Delap.
The English striker has scored 10 goals this season, which comes as impressive when factoring in that they’ve been for a relegation-threatened side, and he’s reliably believed to be turning heads in west London.
Reporter Simon Phillips has claimed that Chelsea have already laid the groundwork to sign Delap, and could seek to strike a deal before this year’s Club World Cup. CaughtOffside now have another update on the 22-year-old’s future, which involves Maresca’s personal stance on the player.
The outlet reports that Chelsea are in pole position to sign Delap, above the likes of Man United, and Maresca believes that the former Man City starlet is a valuable number nine to have at their disposal.
Delap would also apparently cost around £40 million, which is actually cheaper than other mooted figures.