Liam Delap’s future at Chelsea is already in the spotlight and a move to Fulham could become a realistic possibility if Kieran McKenna takes over as manager at Craven Cottage.
According to talkSPORT, Fulham could look at the 23-year-old striker if McKenna replaces Marco Silva, who left for Benfica after five years in west London.
This rumor makes sense considering his connection to McKenna.
Delap worked under him at Ipswich Town, where he had the best years of his young career, scoring 12 goals in 37 Premier League games, despite Ipswich struggling with relegation.
That relationship could be important if Fulham want a striker who already understands McKenna’s football.
It’s also clear that Fulham need a centre-forward. Raul Jimenez left as a free agent and Jonah Cusi-Asare returned to Bayern Munich after a loan spell.
Liam Delap is of interest from Fulham to add depth
This will leave Rodrigo Muñiz as the main senior striker and Delap will not only be a supplementary player in the squad, but will also receive decent playing time.
The situation is even trickier for Chelsea. Delap signed from Ipswich in 2025 for around £30m, but his first season at Stamford Bridge did not go to plan.
ESPN lists him as making 12 starts and 16 substitute appearances in the Premier League for the 2025/26 season, with one goal and no assists.
According to UEFA, he also played in five games in the Champions League, scoring one goal.
That’s not enough for a striker looking to prove himself at a club like Chelsea.
Chelsea attacker could revive career with move
But that doesn’t mean Delap is over either. He is still young, physical, aggressive and can lead the way if he is trusted.
The problem is that Chelsea’s squad is overcrowded and patience is rarely guaranteed there.
Fulham could be a very smart move for Delap, but only if McKenna gets the job.
The manager knows how to use him, Fulham need a striker and Delap desperately needs regular football.
Chelsea may not want to give up on him too soon, but if they can’t provide him with playing time, it would make sense to sell or loan him.
Source: Chelsea officially contact striker who is set to enter the market as a free agent
