There is an obvious opening, but one that comes with a major warning, for the No 9 at Chelsea weighs as heavy as any shirt in the Premier League.
A month later Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang claimed the number, ignoring the fate that befell (deep breath) Romelu Lukaku, Tammy Abraham, Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, Fernando Torres, Franco Di Santo, Steve Sidwell (eh?), Khalid Boulahrouz (wait, what?), Hernan Crespo and Mateja Kezman before him.
The current Chelsea squad have avoided the No 9 shirt (Photo: Getty)
Aubameyang went on to score three goals in 21 games, and was shipped off to Marseille in the summer of 2023 after just one, nightmare campaign.
But whether he takes the number or not, Delap will be Chelsea’s No 9 in name, a mighty burden in itself.
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Liverpool are the obvious absence there, but they’ve had Mohamed Salah. In those seasons since Costa’s 20-goal return, Chelsea largely relied on Eden Hazard before enduring two campaigns where a paltry seven league goals was enough to finish first in blue: Jorginho (2020-21) and Kai Havertz (2022-23).
Palmer has topped the Chelsea charts the past two seasons and is already among their top 10 Premier League goalscorers, an impressive feat that also speaks volumes about their failures up front, particularly as John Terry still sits eighth.
Delap must therefore buck the trend. The man with just 12 Premier League goals to his name, the striker who scored two more than Nicolas Jackson managed this season from eight less shots (76 vs 68) – a handy comparison, but hardly one to make the champions quiver, as you must scroll past Salah, Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, Bryan Mbeumo, Chris Wood and a handful more players before you find their names.
Delap would rather Nicolas Jackson for competition (Photo: Getty)Delap is risking it too. Deemed Harry Kane’s England successor, the 22-year-old is gambling his reputation on a transfer that makes him either another name for the curse or Chelsea’s saviour at long last.
There will be greater scrutiny on the chances he has too, and Delap isn’t used to that level of expectation. It could be argued there is only one way to ever experience it, but doing so with only Jackson for competition is not exactly ideal, and there are other options.
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Now Hojlund is the latest poster boy of the United circus, looking utterly bereft of confidence when what he really needed was a fellow striker with more experience to partake some wisdom.
He would have been better off at Newcastle, where he could learn from Alexander Isak, but instead sources told The i Paper that Delap prefers having Jackson for company as opposed to jostling with Newcastle’s £150m-rated Swede.
The fact he has shone next to Palmer and under Enzo Maresca at youth level is an added plus, and while replicating this link-up seen at Manchester City’s academy stadium under the lights of Champions League football at Stamford Bridge is some ask, Delap clearly believes.
It will be the role of a lifetime, and if it pays off, not only will the curse be lifted, but greater silverware than the Conference League trophy might be lifted as well.
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