Chelsea have confirmed the signing of new striker Liam Delap and also announced what shirt number he will wear at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have spent £30 million ($40.6 million) on recruiting the 22-year-old from Ipswich Town, where he scored 12 goals in 40 appearances this past season, but was ultimately unable to keep the Tractor Boys in the Premier League.
Delap rejected Manchester United in favour of signing with the Blues and will now be expected to share minutes with Chelsea’s first-choice centre forward Nicolas Jackson. That tussle for a starting spot will begin at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup later this month.
The west London giants have revealed that Delap will wear the No.9 jersey upon arrival, having never previously worn the number at senior level. He most recently donned the No.19 for Ipswich but has been offered a major upgrade at Stamford Bridge.
However, Chelsea’s No.9 shirt has not always been kind to its incumbents, with a series of strikers struggling under the weight of expectation for the Blues. Delap will be eager to buck that trend.
History of Chelsea’s No.9 Shirt
Prior to the Gabon international’s arrival, Romelu Lukaku, Tammy Abraham, Álvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao and Fernando Torres had all worn the shirt, with none experiencing much fortune in Chelsea blue.
Before them came the likes of Franco Di Santo, Hernán Crespo and Mateja Kežman, meaning the last genuine success story in the No.9 for the Blues was Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink from 2000 to 2004.
Delap will want to avoid succumbing to the supposed curse and a quick start to life in the capital would certainly help the cleansing process.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chelsea Confirm Liam Delap Shirt Number.
