Chelsea have started their Club World Cup campaign with a relatively straightforward 2-0 victory over LAFC in the searing heat of Atlanta.
Enzo Maresca’s side were always expected to win, and it gave the Blues a solid start to the tournament. Next up is Brazilian side Flamengo this evening, and another win would seal a place in the knockout rounds.
The aim is to go as far as possible in the United States, especially with prize money for the winners of the competition set to reach $125m this summer.
Goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández on Monday were enough to seal the win over the MLS side, but it was the debut of Liam Dealp that was one of the most positive aspects of the win.
The striker arrived for a reported fee of £30m from Ipswich Town a few weeks ago, and on the surface, this move could turn into a bargain for the Stamford Bridge side. Indeed, just how well did the Englishman perform during his cameo against LAFC a few days ago?
Liam Delap’s game in numbers vs LAFC
Maresca went with Nicolas Jackson as his lone centre-forward against the American side, and he performed fairly well, grabbing the assist for Neto’s opener.
After 65 minutes, the Senegal international was subbed off in place of Delap, who was given just over half an hour to demonstrate his talents.
During this time, Delap made two key passes, succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts, and created one big chance against LAFC.
It was his assist that showed exactly what the striker can do. He delivered a fine cross from the right flank straight into the path of Fernandez, who finished easily to seal all three points.
While Delap may have been signed to provide competition for Jackson in leading the line, his cameo proves the youngster can drop deeper and generate chances for his teammates.
It will be interesting to see whether Maresca deploys him from the start against Flamengo this evening or if he will remain on the bench.
With the transfer market now in full swing, the manager appears to be keen on signing another winger or two to add something different to his squad.
Jamie Gittens has been earmarked as the main transfer target, and it remains to be seen whether the Blues will secure a deal to sign the Borussia Dortmund winger over the next few weeks. There are plenty of alternatives, however, especially those who have plenty of Premier League experience…
Chelsea’s search for a new winger
According to the Guardian, Chelsea have made Gittens a priority this summer in a bid to bolster their attacking options.
Dortmund rejected a bid of around £42m for the young English talent, and it remains to be seen just how much Maresca will have to pay to secure his signature.
The report goes on to state that the Blues have also made contact with West Ham United to sign Mohammed Kudus this summer.
West Ham rejected an initial approach from the Stamford Bridge side regarding a swoop for the former Ajax man, who has also been targeted by Manchester United and Newcastle United.
The Irons would prefer a straight sale amid Maresca’s attempts at offering players in any prospective deal, and the Ghanaian sensation has a release clause worth £85m, which is valid for Premier League sides throughout the first ten days of July.
It remains to be seen if he will cost more than a potential deal for Gittens, though. Given his Premier League credentials and ability to develop further, might he not only be a better signing, but also could Kudus work well with Delap?
Why Chelsea must sign Mohammed Kudus
Kudus was excellent during his spell with Ajax. A total of 39 goal contributions across 87 games saw West Ham pay £38m to bring the winger to the Premier League.
Across his two seasons so far with the Irons, Kudus has scored 14 and five goals respectively, attracting attention from the likes of Chelsea and Man United.
Metric
Kudus
Neto
Madueke
Goals
5
4
7
Assists
4
6
3
Successful dribbles per game
2.9
1
1.4
Shots per game
2.3
1.7
2.5
Big chances created
3
11
6
Total duels won per game
6.4
2.9
3.3
The Ghanaian international has been hailed as a “generational talent” by journalist Gary Al-Smith when he is at his free-flowing best.
While he shone throughout his debut campaign, the 2024/25 season saw his goal output drop rather sharply.
While this may be a worry, Kudus still shone across a range of attacking metrics. Indeed, when compared with his positional peers in the top flight, the 24-year-old ranked in the top 17% for crosses into the opposition penalty area (0.52) per 90, while also ranking in the top 2% for take-ons attempted (7.23) and in the top 3% for successful take-ons (3.2) per 90 last season.
These attributes regularly see the winger beat his man to deliver balls into the box. Given Delap scored 11 of his 12 goals from inside the penalty area, he will usually be well-placed to tuck away chances created by Kudus.
Despite a fairly underwhelming season last term, throughout 2023/24, Kudus not only managed to create five big chances for West Ham in the Premier League, but also succeeded with an impressive 3.2 dribbles per game – a success rate of 62% – and averaged 0.8 key passes per match.
A move to Chelsea may reinvigorate the former Ajax starlet, especially as he will return to the Champions League, a competition he has previously starred in.
Indeed, the winger scored four goals and grabbed two assists in just six matches for the Dutch giants. With the Blues returning to Europe’s premier club competition next term, having someone like Kudus at his disposal could make Maresca’s job much easier.
Much will depend on the fee that can be agreed between the two clubs, but a potential deal for the 24-year-old could be a shrewd one for the club.
There is plenty of time left in the window, but with other clubs circling, Maresca may need to act swiftly.
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