LD
Liam Delap
Centre-Forward / England / Ternana
78 OVR
Profile
Key strength: Vision and passing
Target man
Chelsea's season is spiraling into crisis. Sitting 10th in the Premier League after five consecutive defeats, Enzo Maresca's ambitious project is hemorrhaging confidence—and goals. Yet amidst the wreckage, 23-year-old Liam Delap continues his unglamorous but vital work. The England U21 international, valued at €35 million, has appeared 25 times this season, delivering 2 goals and 4 assists from just over 1,000 minutes. Delap's modest return belies his importance. Deployed as a classic target man, he offers something Chelsea's technical midfielders crave: a physical fulcrum. His hold-up play creates space for the likes of Enzo Fernández and João Pedro to operate, while his 4 assists reveal a playmaker's eye often overlooked in strikers his age. In a squad hemorrhaging confidence, Delap's selfless graft stands out. He's not yet the prolific number nine Chelsea fans dream of, but at 23, his blend of physical presence and developing vision offers Maresca a foundation—if only the rest of the team can rediscover their rhythm around him.