Liam Delap wants to stay and fight for his Chelsea career as the club face big decisions over their strikers, with the identity of the next permanent head coach expected to be crucial.
Chelsea have João Pedro, Delap and Marc Guiu, with Emmanuel Emegha due to arrive from sister club Strasbourg and Nicolas Jackson’s season on loan at Bayern Munich due to end.
Pedro showed again that he has been a good £60m signing for Chelsea with his performance, in which he struck a post, in the FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United. The Brazilian has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season.
Interim head coach Calum McFarlane preferred Pedro to Delap, who has still only scored one Premier League goal for Chelsea since joining the club for £30m from Ipswich Town.
Delap’s first season at Stamford Bridge has been interrupted by an injury at the end of August that kept him out for two months and Telegraph Sport understands he still believes he can make his move a success.
Rather than looking for a move away, Delap is said to be focused on trying to finish the season as positively as possible and returning to Chelsea in the summer to prepare for next season.
The 23-year-old still has five years remaining on his contract and does not want to leave after just one year at Chelsea.
But despite his difficult first season at the club, Delap is a player Chelsea could still sell at a profit, given the relatively low fee he was bought for, and the former Ipswich Town man would not be short of suitors.
Chelsea have already agreed a deal for Emegha, 23, to join in the summer, but he will now not link up at Stamford Bridge with his old Strasbourg head coach, Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last week.
Rosenior’s presence at Chelsea seemed positive for Emegha, who scored 14 goals under him last season. The Dutch international has been hit by injuries and disciplinary issues this campaign.
Jackson’s scheduled return from Bayern presents Chelsea with another big decision, with the German club confirming they will not trigger the option to buy the Senegalese striker.
At Bayern, Jackson has played second fiddle to Harry Kane but has still scored 10 goals – including three in his last three appearances, which have all been starts.
Jackson’s form has ensured that there will be interest in him this summer, with Premier League clubs such as Newcastle United and Aston Villa potentially rekindling their interest in the 24-year-old.
There had been virtually no possibility of Jackson returning to Chelsea while Enzo Maresca was head coach and Rosenior’s appointment did not particularly change the situation.
But the identity of Rosenior’s permanent replacement could have a bearing on Jackson’s future. Andoni Iraola is one of the candidates to fill the vacant Chelsea job and the club have contacted his representatives to find out his plans for after he leaves Bournemouth at the end of the season.
Bournemouth went close to signing Jackson before he moved to Stamford Bridge. Iraola is not involved in Bournemouth’s recruitment, but made it clear he is a fan of Jackson by saying: “I faced him with Villarreal. He is a very, very good player. He has the threat with his speed to attack the spaces. But he is very good also when he receives, turns and attacks one against one.
“I think he will provide not only the goals, but a lot of chances. He will work well with the other forwards. I think he is a really good player.”
While Chelsea insist they will not be under pressure to sell leading players this summer, they will look to make space in the squad for new signings – regardless of whether they qualify for the Champions League.
At least one of the club’s strikers is likely to depart, while Chelsea will also be open to bids for out-of-form winger Alejandro Garnacho, as reported by Telegraph Sport last week.
Garnacho suffered another difficult day in the semi-final victory over Leeds and was replaced by Cole Palmer, who returned from injury, with just under 20 minutes remaining.