Contact made: Chelsea hold club-to-club talks in bid to steal a march on Arsenal transfer target | OneFootball

Chelsea have reportedly had contact with Ipswich Town regarding a potential transfer deal for talented young striker Liam Delap, according to Simon Phillips.

Delap has shone for Ipswich in the Premier League this season, having finally started to really make a name for himself after a challenging spell at Manchester City as a youngster.

The 21-year-old showed some promise in his time on Man City’s books, but he couldn’t get much playing time and he’s now reaping the benefits of more opportunities at Portman Road.

Delap is now being linked with Arsenal and other clubs, but Phillips suggests Chelsea have made a move to steal a march on a possible deal for the English forward.

The report stresses that the Blues are not necessarily prioritising Delap as they also have other names on their list of targets, but it seems discussions have at least taken place to understand his availability and possible asking price.

Liam Delap transfer: Will he move to Chelsea or Arsenal?

Liam Delap warming up for Ipswich Town (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

It remains to be seen if Delap is really good enough to make the step up to playing for one of the big six just yet, but it is also true that Chelsea and Arsenal could both do with new strikers.

The Gunners lack a real out-and-out finisher in their ranks, so there could be a role for Delap there, even if some fans will want a bigger name.

Chelsea, meanwhile, already have Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku, though there could be room for an upgrade.

Nkunku has had injury problems that mean he’s been in and out of the team since his move to Stamford Bridge, while Jackson remains a bit young and raw, with work to be done before he really looks capable of driving this team towards success.

Delap could be a fine young talent worth investing in, but CFC supporters would probably also feel that it might be better to go down the route of bringing in a bigger name who’d definitely be a major upgrade on Jackson and Nkunku.