Speculation Liam Delap could switch international allegiances remains a serious point of discussion.
The Chelsea forward has endured a torrid campaign following his big money move from Ipswich Town last summer.
Delap's decision to join the Blues in a deal worth £30 million saw him snub other clubs, including Manchester United, who ended up turning their attention to Benjamin Sesko.
The Winchester-born striker was expected to make the step up and become Stamford Bridge's new hitman, but things couldn't have gone worse for the 23-year-old, including suffering a series of unfortunate injuries.
Scoring just one league goal all season, Delap is under huge pressure to prove he's capable of leading the line for a top six side.
Liam Delap could switch international allegiances
Amid such awful club form there is little chance Delap will represent England anytime soon, and that could force him to consider switching nations.
Despite representing England at under-15 and under-21 level, the former Tractor Boy has yet to earn a single senior cap.
However, the striker's ancestry, which include having Irish grandparents, make him eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland.
Rory Delap — Liam's father — famously swapped the Three Lions for The Boys in Green in 1998 and earned 11 caps. His son is being primed to do the same.
Heimir Hallgrimsson and John O'Shea leave door open for Delap international switch
The Republic of Ireland suffered World Cup qualifying heartbreak recently after losing to the Czech Republic on penalties, and according to talkSPORT, there is now a growing appetite to add some much needed firepower to their ranks.
Speaking about Delap following in his father's footsteps, Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson and assistant John O'Shea have refused to rule out the possibility of him switching his allegiances.
Hallgrimsson said: "It’s a decision that is still just his. He hasn’t played for England and it doesn’t look like he is going to the World Cup, it looks like he is far away from that."
O'Shea added: "It’s in Liam’s corner, as they say. Let’s wait and see."
Following their World Cup disappointment, the Republic of Ireland will play in the UEFA Nations League from September before launching their Euros 2028 qualifying campaign.
And although Delap is under no immediate pressure to make a decision on which country to play for, with his chances of working under Thomas Tuchel slim-to-none, the Chelsea striker may only have one option if he's serious about playing on the international stage.