Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca is allegedly putting pressure on the Blues' board to win the race for Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap this summer.
The Tractor Boys could be sent straight back down to the Championship this weekend, sitting 14 points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United in 18th place in the Premier League table.
If Ipswich lose to Arsenal, Wolves overcome Manchester United and West Ham defeat Southampton over the Easter weekend, Kieran McKenna's side will officially be relegated with five games left to play.
Ipswich's relegation is likely to precede the inevitable exit of Delap, who has been a shining light in a troubled campaign with 12 goals and two assists from 31 Premier League appearances this term.
Even though the ex-Manchester City forward is contracted to Ipswich for another four seasons, he is said to have a £30m release clause in his contract, which can be triggered in the event that the Tractor Boys go down.
Maresca 'pushing influential Chelsea figures' to win Delap race
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Manchester United and Chelsea are considered the main contenders for Delap's signature at present, and according to GIVEMESPORT, Blues boss Maresca is pressuring 'influential figures' to sign the Englishman.
The pair previously worked together during their time at Manchester City, where Delap made just six first-team appearances under Pep Guardiola before being granted a permanent move to Portman Road.
Maresca is now said to be a 'driving force' in Chelsea's efforts to snap up the £30m attacker, but the powers-that-be at Stamford Bridge have not yet decided whether to heed the manager's advice.
The Blues board have supposedly not even decided on a firm strategy for the summer, where they are not sure whether to target established names or up-and-coming starlets that Maresca has specifically requested.
However, Chelsea already appear to have an advantage in the race for Delap, as it has been reported elsewhere that the 22-year-old would prefer a move to either the Blues or another Premier League club over Man United.
What other strikers could Chelsea move for this summer?
© Imago
While Man United could still force their way into the Champions League by winning the Europa League, Chelsea are firmly in contention to qualify via their Premier League position, only sitting one point off the top five.
However, the Blues will not be putting all their eggs in the Delap basket and are expected to be in the mix for Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyokeres, but the Swede could cost more than double the Englishman.
Links with Napoli's Victor Osimhen are bound to re-emerge too, as the Nigerian prepares to end his loan stint with Galatasaray, but his wages may prove prohibitive.
Even though Chelsea have failed to address their striker shortages for a couple of years, Maresca still has complete faith in Nicolas Jackson, whom he recently labelled the "perfect number nine".
Ben Knapton
