Chelsea leading race to sign Premier League striker

Chelsea return to Premier League action on Friday night when they face Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Blues were dumped out of the FA Cup by the Seagulls on Saturday and head coach Enzo Maresca will hope to see his side return to winning ways when they make the trip back to the south coast on Friday evening.

At present the West London side sit fourth in the Premier League, but Maresca will want to see his side pick up all three points against Brighton as they battle to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

In the meantime, it has emerged that Chelsea are the frontrunners to sign one of the Premier League’s most in-form strikers.

As per Ben Jacobs, the West London outfit are in pole position to sign Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap this summer.

Delap, 22, joined the Tractor Boys from Manchester City last summer and is so far enjoying a fine season at Portman Road.

Delap is set to leave Ipswich this summer

The Englishman has scored nine goals in 23 Premier League matches for Town, but Jacobs claims that he is set to leave the club this summer regardless of whether or not they stay up.

He claims that Delap is ‘interested’ by the prospect of joining the Blues, as well as suggesting that there is a ‘strong chance’ that he will become Chelsea’s new striker when the transfer window reopens this summer.

Manchester United are also interested in the player, while former side Man City could make use of a buy-back clause although Jacobs claims that is unlikely to happen.

Chelsea are one of a number of top European sides that are set to be on the hunt for attacking reinforcements this summer, and it is suggested that Delap could be a cheaper alternative to the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.

Delap is contracted to Ipswich until the summer of 2029, having signed a long-term deal when he joined the club last year.