Report: Ipswich Town keen on move to re-sign former star

Report: Ipswich Town keen on move to re-sign former star Liam Delap transfer latest as Ipswich Town weigh Chelsea return Liam Delap’s situation at Chelsea looks increasingly clear, and it is not a flattering one. According to Independent , “Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest are thought to be among a number of clubs considering a move for Chelsea’s Liam Delap.” That tells you plenty on its own. A year after leaving Ipswich for £30m, the 23-year-old is already facing a crossroads. The biggest detail here is symbolic as much as practical. Delap “has lost the No 9 shirt to fellow striker Joao Pedro” and is reportedly “training separately” as Chelsea reshape their attacking options under Xabi Alonso. When a striker loses the shirt and the day-to-day integration, the message is obvious. He is available, and everyone knows it. From an Ipswich perspective, this is the sort of market opportunity that can appear quickly and disappear just as fast. Delap knows the club, knows the environment, and had enough value for Chelsea to spend £30m on him after Ipswich’s relegation. Since then, though, things have stalled badly. He “scored just once in the top flight during his first campaign at Stamford Bridge”, and there is little in that record to suggest Chelsea would block an exit if the right proposal arrived. Photo IMAGO Nottingham Forest being mentioned also matters. They can offer Premier League football and a different short-term pitch. Ipswich, meanwhile, would be selling familiarity, minutes, and a system that could suit a forward needing rhythm and trust more than noise and hype. There is also movement around him in Chelsea’s squad. “Fellow striker Nicolas Jackson is also available having spent last season on loan with Bayern Munich.” In other words, Chelsea are still shuffling pieces up front, and Delap looks like one of the expendable ones. Our View As an Ipswich supporter, this report is the kind of thing you read and immediately start thinking, go on then, make it happen. There is a basic logic to it. Delap needs a reset. Ipswich need attacking quality with Premier League-level physicality, and we already know he can handle the demands and expectations around the club. The key point for me is that this would not be a vanity signing. It would be a football signing. If he really is “training separately” and if he really has “lost the No 9 shirt”, then Chelsea have already made their call. Fine. Their environment can swallow players quickly. That does not mean the player is finished, it means the fit has been wrong. From an Ipswich angle, there should be real confidence here. Gary O’Neil will want forwards who run, compete, press, and play with edge. Delap absolutely has that. He is still only 23, and one poor season at a chaotic big club should not define him. We sold him for £30m because there was talent there, presence there, and genuine upside there. Forest may be an option, but if Delap wants minutes, belief, and a team where he can feel central again, Ipswich should have a serious chance. Supporters would back this move because it feels grounded in common sense. If the numbers are workable, Ipswich should be aggressive. This looks like a chance to bring back a striker with a point to prove, and those deals can be the best ones of all.