Chelsea sent 'curse' warning over Liam Delap! Ex-Blues midfielder believes Ipswich striker would fail to end club's striker woes

Over the past decade, Chelsea have struggled to find a consistent goal scorer capable of leading the line. High-profile names such as Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, and Fernando Torres were all brought in with great expectations, only to fall short under the weight of pressure at Stamford Bridge. In fact, the club has twice opted to go through an entire campaign without assigning the number nine jersey - during the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons - perhaps in silent acknowledgement of its cursed status.

Delap, who has impressed during his stint with the relegated Tractor Boys this season, is believed to be a target for Chelsea as the club seeks to resolve its ongoing issues in front of goal. However, Petit is not convinced that the young forward is the right man to break what he refers to as the 'curse' of Chelsea’s No. 9 shirt.

In an interview with BesteOnlineCasinoNederland, Petit said: "Delap has quality, I think he has done a great job at Ipswich, but it’s a huge step. He has a really bright future and I have respect for him, but going from Ipswich to Chelsea is huge in terms of expectation and pressure, that number nine position at Chelsea has been a curse for so many players. Chelsea need a striker who is going to score 25 goals a season, will Delap give you that? I’m not so sure."

Despite the club’s financial strength and ability to attract big names, Chelsea have not seen many strikers live up to their billing in recent memory. Current forward Nicolas Jackson has shown promise but is currently in the line of fire after getting sent off in Sunday's loss at Newcastle.

Following Ipswich's drop from the top tier, Delap is now available for transfer, with a £30 million ($40m) release clause reportedly written into his contract becoming active. That clause has reportedly caught the attention of both Chelsea and Manchester United. With both clubs desperate for reliable scoring options, the young English striker could be the subject of a summer transfer tug-of-war.