Liam Delap urged to join Everton to walk 'great path' left by 'wonderful finisher'
Liam Delap should look to the career of Romelu Lukaku when he makes a decision on a potential move to Everton this summer.
That is the opinion of former senior Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Toffees are reportedly among the clubs considering the 23-year-old this summer, with Chelsea keen to sell for a fee in excess of the £30million they paid Ipswich Town last summer.
Delap scored just two goals in 41 appearances for the Blues last season in a horrendous debut campaign, but there remains confidence that he can become a top striker.
Everton are open to movement in attack this summer, with Thierno Barry having been linked with a move away while Beto has just one year remaining on his contract.
Neither player proved a reliable goal-scorer for David Moyes last season, with consistency hard to find throughout the team.
'If I was Liam Delap, I'd be thinking...'
The 2024-25 season saw Delap score 12 goals and provide two assists in his debut Premier League campaign, all while playing for an Ipswich team that were subsequently relegated.
The striker was rewarded with a big move to Chelsea, but it has not worked out. Joao Pedro arrived in the same summer and enjoyed a brilliant season up front, and the situation is only worsening.
Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha have arrived, while Nicolas Jackson has returned to the club and could well end up staying put.
"If I was Delap and I got the shout from Everton, I'd be thinking: 'Christ alive, yeah. Look who went to Everton and became a really good player. Lukaku,'" King told Football Insider.
"He went on loan and really made his name up at Everton, didn't he? And it was a great path for him, you know, to open the doors to greater things.
"You know, I must admit, when he came to Everton as a young player, I can remember seeing him playing in a tournament in La Manga when he was 17. Powerful and strong he was, and what a wonderful finisher he was off his left foot. It was a great era for Belgian players then.
"[Thibaut] Courtois and [Youri] Tielemans and, you know, all these kind of players. So, if he got the chance to go to Everton, I'd take it. Even if he's on loan for the year."
Delap must leave for his future
Should Delap want to wait for an opportunity at Chelsea, he can. The 23-year-old is under contract until 2031 and likely on good wages.
That opportunity may never come, however, and the striker would be remembered as just another talent lost to the Chelsea system.
A move to Everton would provide a chance to change that and potentially build a career like the one Lukaku has had.
Delap may never reach the same heights, but it feels like advice he must ultimately take.