On Sunday, Chelsea beat this year's Premier League winners, Liverpool, 3-1 in an incredible matchup at Stamford Bridge. What made this win even more exciting for the fans is the fact that Cole Palmer was back on the scoresheet. Also, the three points came at a crucial point in the season with Champions League spots still up for grabs.
Competing to qualify for the Champions League cannot be the aim for Chelsea though. They need to be trying to win trophies.
It is expected that Chelsea will bring in multiple players in the upcoming summer transfer window to strengthen their squad, especially if Champions League qualification is secured. One position which has been particularly problematic for the Blues is the centre-forward role.
One could argue that Nicolas Jackson is the only genuine option they have there. And he has had a hot and cold season, increasing the need to sign another striker this summer.
Cole Palmer friendship could help Chelsea land £30m striker
The Blues are expected to prioritise the signing of a reliable centre-forward this summer. Multiple players have already been linked with a move to the Stamford Bridge.
Jackson has scored just 12 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea this season. Everyone knows that these kinds of figures aren’t enough to be a starter for the Blues.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Chelsea are looking for a replacement up front and it looks like they have spotted a perfect candidate for the job. Yes, we are talking about Liam Delap.
TBR Football’s chief correspondent Graeme Bailey told Geordie Boot Boys:
"He’s got a glut of clubs interested in him. At this moment in time, I would still make Chelsea favourites to sign him.
“He’s got that relationship from Man City with Enzo Maresca. Cole Palmer is one of his close friends. There’s that route to the first-team. It wouldn’t be too difficult for Delap to be first choice at Stamford Bridge.
“They can make a very good offer for him, because they do need him.
“In an ideal world, Newcastle would love him to be number two to Alexander Isak, but it just is not going to play out like that."
It seems that Chelsea have emerged as favourites to land the striker, as Palmer is good friends with Delap. The fact that Maresca has a strong relationship with the player from their time together at Manchester City also strengthens the Blues' chances.
It will be interesting to see if the Blues manage to secure the signing of Delap in the upcoming transfer window. But for now, Chelsea still have work to do both in the league and in the UEFA Conference League.
They should stay focused on the current season, as they have a chance to win the Conference League, which will end their trophy drought. At the same time, they must also avoid dropping points in the Premier League, with three games left to play, to secure a spot in next season’s Champions League.