Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel thinks that new striker Liam Delap isn’t exactly who the fans had in mind when they hoped for a summer signing at Stamford Bridge.
During DAZN's coverage of Chelsea’s Club World Cup opener—a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC on Monday—Mikel, who hails from Nigeria like Delap, pointed out who he believed was a more popular choice among the supporters.
Honestly, it’s pretty clear that Delap isn’t the player fans were clamoring for. We all know who they had their eyes on.
“Fans wanted Victor Osimhen to join the club, but that didn’t happen. The club chose Delap instead. He’s young, and there’s definitely room for him to improve,” he said.
Mikel added, “I really hope he hits the ground running and silences those who doubt him. I wish him all the best; I truly believe he can do it. The way he made those runs today, sneaking behind defenders—he could be the one to finish those chances.”
Delap, who’s just 22, made a £30 million move to Chelsea from Ipswich and made his debut this past Monday, even getting an assist in that win over LAFC, albeit in front of a pretty sparse crowd in Atlanta.
While Mikel praised the young striker's contribution, he thinks Delap might start next season as the second choice under Enzo Maresca.
“But let’s not forget about Nic Jackson. I still see him as the main guy,” Mikel pointed out. “He just needs to sharpen up his finishing. I genuinely believe he’s the one who’ll kick off the season as the starter.”
Delap himself mentioned, “Of course, it feels good to help the team, but I want to score some goals too. Competition is great; that’s what football is all about. This club is incredible, and it’s always going to be tough, but you’ve got to thrive off that competition.”
On a different note, Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo emphasized that the players weren’t too worried about the low attendance. “We just focused on the game and what went down on the pitch,” he said.
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