Wayne Rooney has revealed why he thinks former Manchester United target Liam Delap has struggled to have a meaningful impact at Chelsea in the 2025-26 season.
Manchester United were one of the clubs linked with Liam Delap last summer amid Ineos’ pursuit of a new striking option for Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
Newcastle, Everton and Chelsea all had the 23-year-old English striker on their radars as well, but the Blues eventually came out on top in the race to sign Delap.
Delap’s £30m release clause became active at the end of the 2024-25 Premier League season after Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town were relegated to the Championship.
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Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney pinpoints two immediate issues that have held back Chelsea striker Liam Delap
Liam Delap caught the eye of Manchester United and other Premier League clubs last season after his run of form at Ipswich Town under manager Kieran McKenna.
The former Ipswich striker netted 12 times and registered two assists in 40 matches across all competitions for the Tractor Boys before Chelsea signed him in 2025.
However, Delap has only found the back of the net twice and picked up four assists in 28 matches in all competitions for the Blues in his debut season at the club.
Speaking on his podcast, Wayne Rooney believes that the Chelsea summer signing has been held back by injuries and the challenge faced from Joao Pedro in the team.
“Yeah, yeah. And I think Liam Delap, he’s struggled obviously with injuries,” he said on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show.
“And he hasn’t challenged Pedro rarely for that position when he’s played. And he’s still a young lad.
“There’s still a lot to learn and a lot to improve on. So, from that point of view, but regardless of what Delap is doing, Joe Pedro is making it very difficult for [Liam] Rosenior to leave the team.”
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Wayne Rooney on the challenge that former Man Utd target Liam Delap faces at Chelsea compared with Ipswich Town
Former Man Utd-linked Delap has suffered multiple injuries, including a hamstring problem, that have sidelined him at times at Stamford Bridge in the 2025-26 season.
United legend Rooney said that a major issue for Delap has been that Chelsea had played a different attacking style to the one deployed by Ipswich under McKenna.
“Yeah, listen, it’s tough and again, he’s a young lad,” he explained.
“And he suited Ipswich when the way Ipswich played in the Premier League and, you know, direct balls up to him running into the space and, you know, using his power, holding off defenders.
“But I think the way Chelsea plays [is] a bit more precise, more possession-based and you’d have to be a bit cleverer [to understand] why Joao Pedro was doing well in tighter areas and get your touch right and things like that.
“So, it’s a bit different to what he was used to at Ipswich. So, hopefully, he improves and he learns that. But at the minute, yeah, I think he’s finding it difficult.”
Delap played 85 minutes on Saturday before the striker was hooked off in Chelsea’s 4-2 win over 10-man Wrexham in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Racecourse Ground.
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