That is in stark contrast to 2022, when then manager Erik ten Hag delayed for months in a fruitless attempt to sign Frenkie de Jong and United ended up panicking at the end of the transfer window and spent £150m on Casemiro and Antony.

Liam Delap revealed that the prospect of winning trophies was a defining factor behind his decision to join Chelsea despite competing interest from the likes of Manchester United. Once it was known that Delap’s Ipswich Town contract included a bargain £30 million ($40.

Chelsea have bolstered their forward line with the signing of 22-year-old striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town.