Enzo Maresca says Chelsea's ideal striker signing this summer would be a second Nicolas Jackson — but “fantastic” Liam Delap will be an “enemy” on Sunday when the in-demand Ipswich man comes to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are in the market for a striker this summer, with Delap one player they are interested in signing.
The 22-year-old Englishman has scored 12 goals and registered two assists in 30 Premier League appearances for Ipswich this season. If the Tractor Boys are relegated, his £40million release clause will drop to £30m, leaving Chelsea and other potential suitors already on high alert.
While Delap, who faces Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, is a target, Maresca believes the Blues already have the “perfect” striker in Jackson.
The Senegal international is Chelsea’s first-choice striker and has scored nine goals this season but was hampered recently by a hamstring injury.
When asked what his ideal summer striker signing might look like, Maresca said: “My perfect No9 is exactly Nico Jackson. We already have a No9. It's not summer now.
“If we can have a copy of Nico, it's OK. I have said many times, with Nico we are a better team. Nico is the one we need.
“Last season, he scored goals without penalties. This season he scored goals until he was injured. Now, hopefully, he can score more goals without penalties. We are happy with Nico. And about next season, it's not the moment [to discuss transfers].”
Maresca was asked about Delap, who scored from the penalty spot when relegation-threatened Ipswich stunned Chelsea 2-0 at Portman Road in the reverse fixture in December.
The Chelsea manager said: “In terms of numbers, he's doing fantastic. I think he's scored 12 [Premier League] goals already.
“It's not just in terms of his numbers — [it’s] the way he plays and fights and is always there. But he's an Ipswich player. He's an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future.
“In the first game, he was quite good for them. We need to deal with that, and we need to do much, much better compared to the first game [the loss at Ipswich].”
Maresca continued: “To compare Liam [Delap] with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, I think it's a bit early. But for sure, in terms of style, he's that kind of player. They are all real 9s. They are 9s inside the box.
“But we also have a good 9 [in Nico Jackson]. He's doing well since we started. Unfortunately, we've missed him, and sometimes you need to miss players to realise how important they are for you. With Nico, we are a completely different team compared to when he was injured. We are happy with Nico as our striker.”
