Chelsea eyeing £80m Premier League striker as Liam Delap transfer alternative | Football

Chelsea have two Premier League forwards in their sights ahead of the January transfer window.

Enzo Maresca has quickly won Chelsea fans over since succeeding Mauricio Pochettino in the Stamford Bridge hot seat, with the Blues surpassing expectations in the first half of the Premier League campaign.

But having spent in the region of £220million on summer signings, the west London outfit are preparing to enter the transfer market once again with a view to boosting their title hopes in the second half of the season.

A resurgent Nicolas Jackson has started all but one of Chelsea’s opening 17 league matches this term and the club are keen to ease the Senegalese’s workload by strengthening up front.

According to talkSPORT, Ipswich’s Liam Delap, 21, and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson, 20, find themselves at the top of Chelsea’s shortlist of attacking targets, though a deal for either player will likely prove difficult next month.

It’s claimed Chelsea have sent scouts to watch Delap on multiple occasions, with the England Under-21 international firing on all cylinders across an eye-catching debut season at Portman Road.

A number of clubs have been credited with an interest in Delap in recent weeks, including Manchester City, who made sure to include a buy-back option for the youngster in their summer deal with Ipswich.

The report states that Ferguson – who is currently sidelined with an ankle injury – remains a player firmly on Chelsea’s radar, but Brighton are said to be demanding a fee of between £80-100m for the Republic of Ireland man.

Ferguson, who has also been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Leicester and West Ham, is tied into a contract at the Amex Stadium until 2029.

Recent reports suggested Ferguson could be set for a loan move in January, with the striker managing just one goal in all competitions this season for the Seagulls.

Responding to the speculation, Fabian Hurzeler insisted he was ‘really happy’ to have Ferguson in his ranks but eager to ‘find the right solution’ for the Irishman.

‘At first, I think he needs to get back on the pitch. The rumours, I won’t discuss them in public,’ the Brighton head coach said ahead of his side’s trip to Aston Villa.

‘I think it’s very important the player knows our idea, that we know the idea from the player and then it’s most important to be honest with each other, to find the right solution for the club and in the end also for the player.

‘I’m really happy that Evan is in our squad and I’m hoping that he will be back on the pitch as soon as possible.’

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