Liam Delap’s decision to choose Chelsea over Manchester United is starting to come into focus and manager Enzo Maresca has now explained exactly what convinced the young forward to make the move.
Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both ended up at Old Trafford this summer, but Delap, one of United’s three main striker targets, turned down the chance to lead the line under Ruben Amorim.
Instead, he chose Chelsea, reuniting with Maresca, who coached him in Manchester City’s academy. Their past success together ended up tipping the scales.
Maresca, now settling into the Chelsea job, spoke openly about the conversations that helped sway Delap’s decision.
What Maresca said to Delap
United’s selling point was clear: immediate first-team football, with Delap likely to get more minutes than anywhere else. But it wasn’t enough to sway him.
Even at Chelsea, where he faces competition from Nicolas Jackson and others, as the club may still look to add another striker, Delap chose familiarity over guarantees.
Speaking ahead of the Club World Cup, Maresca explained:
“I never tell a player that he’s going to be the first-choice. You arrive, you work hard, you work more than the other number nine, and you’re gonna be the first choice.
“The conversation with [Delap] was quite clear. He was keen to join us because he knows the way we play. The season we were together [for Manchester City U23s], he scored 24-25 goals.
“So he knows exactly what we can give him and I know what he can give us. It’s a win-win. The conversation was quite easy. We like [Delap], he likes us.”
- READ MORE: Rio Ferdinand suggests Man United were right to fight for a player who ‘tore them up’ this season
Maresca’s history was always going to matter
In the end, Delap’s choice wasn’t about guaranteed minutes or short-term playing time. It was about returning to a coach who had already unlocked his best form, and trusting that lightning might strike again.
While United could offer a clear path to the starting XI, they couldn’t match the track record Delap had with Maresca. And with Champions League football on offer at Chelsea, the decision became clearer.
The risk, of course, is that club dynamics change quickly. Chelsea’s approach to strikers has been unpredictable, and Maresca himself will be under pressure to deliver results quickly.
Still, from Delap’s perspective, betting on a familiar system – even in a crowded squad – felt safer than walking into the unknown at United. For now, his trust in Maresca has tipped one of the summer’s most interesting transfer calls.
from HITC https://ift.tt/T3qe6ov
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