Liam Delap has said he can’t wait to rekindle his connection with Cole Palmer after completing a £30m transfer to Chelsea.
Delap came through the Manchester City academy with Palmer and has reunited with his former teammate at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old also links up with ex-City academy product Romeo Lavia and former City coach Enzo Maresca at Chelsea.
The England u-21 international, who scored 12 Premier League goals at Ipswich last season, hopes the familiar faces can help him settle quickly in West London.
Liam Delap, welcome to our house. 🏡 pic.twitter.com/EO3GIT0mlv
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) June 4, 2025
“Cole is incredible in everything he does,” Delap told the club’s official website when talking about Palmer.
“I can’t wait to be in front of him again and receive his passes! I spent a lot of time with them both (Palmer and Lavia) at City. We grew up and played some incredible football together. I spoke to them about joining and I am excited to play alongside them again.
“I also know Levi [Colwill] a bit as we faced each other hundreds of times when we were growing up. It’s always nice to know people [when you join a new club], and I’ve spoken to a few of them and asked them for advice.
“They’ve told me how great a place it is and I’m really excited to come and play alongside them.”
Delap says Maresca a key factor in Chelsea transfer
Delap turned down interest from several Premier League clubs in favour of Chelsea. He said the chance to work with Maresca again was a decisive factor.
“He is an incredible coach and helped us all develop so much,” Delap said.
“What we did that season was record-breaking, and what he’s gone on to achieve – and what the players in that age group have achieved – is incredible.
“He has a great understanding of the game. He was very detailed in how he approached things with us and while it can be hard at that age to take on so much information, he brought it across in a way we understood and could put into our games.
“I think it’s proved in the years since how much it has helped.”
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