Archive June 4, 2025

Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap has been signed for £30 million by Chelsea.

Following the Blues’ meeting with a release clause in their Ipswich deal, the 22-year-old has accepted a six-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea will pay up to £20 million upfront, according to sources, and the Tractor Boys have entered into a sell-on agreement as part of the deal.

Delap praised the stature of the club and the direction the head coach and these players are taking.

“I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies,” I said. “It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop.”

Last year, Delap made 37 top-flight appearances, scoring 12 goals.

Before joining Ipswich in 2024 for about £20 million, the Englishman left Manchester City’s academy and went on loan at Stoke, Preston, and Hull.

Delap claimed he would never forget Portman Road’s experience.

After only making two Premier League appearances with Manchester City, he added that Kieran McKenna’s backing and the fans made Ipswich “the ideal environment” for him to gain experience.

He attended Derby County’s academy before moving to City’s academy as a teenager, son of former Republic of Ireland international Rory Delap.

Before being loaned out to Town and making a permanent move to Town, he made six first-team starts for City, scoring once in the League Cup.

Delap has a chance to improve his solitary appearance in 2022 by winning the Uefa Conference League, which Chelsea won this year.

Delap is expected to miss the European Under-21 Championships in Slovenia later this month, but he will likely be a part of England’s training squad.

Chelsea plays host to the Fifa Club World Cup in the United States from June 14 through July 13, and this extended competition is superior to the U21 Euros.

Cole Palmer, the Blues’ top scorer, scored 15 goals as the Blues struggled for goals in the competition from a renowned centre-forward.

Before the Club World Cup this month, Chelsea want to add depth to their squad.

On June 16, the Blues play Los Angeles FC in their first match of the season.

Although AC Milan and the French club are still in contact over their goalkeeper Mike Maignan, 29, their opinions on the player are far apart when it comes to his final year on his contract with the Serie A side.

Leicester’s second ODI

England 366-6 (50 overs): Jones 129 (98), Beaumont 106 (109)

West Indies 223 (45.4 overs): Grimmond 53 (72), Capsey 3-41

England defeated 143 runs to win the three-match series 2-0.

In the second one-day international in Leicester, England defeated West Indies by 143 runs to set up Amy Jones and Tammy Beaumont’s second successive centuries.

Jones hit a stunning 129 from 98 balls after dropping 43 in her first international debut, while Beaumont hit 106 in England’s imposing 366-6.

After posting a 222 in the opener, the pair added 202 in 29 overs, before Emma Lamb’s 55 and Sophia Dunkley’s 31 from 19 balls capped yet another utterly dominant batting performance.

The tourists fought back to 223 all out in 45.4 overs in a match that was made even more lonesome by the absence of Windies skipper Hayley Matthews due to a shoulder injury.

Realeanna Grimmond, who made her ODI debut, had a spirited 53 from 72 balls with two sixes, and Jannillea Glasgow, who had an entertaining 44 from 24, but the outcome was a foregone conclusion because of the gulf between the two teams.

England’s bowling attack struggled to find breakthroughs in the middle overs as they struggled to overcome West Indies’ lack of attacking intent, with Alice Capsey finishing with 3-41 and Linsey Smith and Lauren Filer both taking two wickets each.

Although Edwards’ decision to reinstate Jones at the top of the order initially sparked some unease, it has turned out to be a masterstroke.

She threw two fours at Zaida James before leaving without looking back. The two actors previously played opposite roles, with Beaumont moving through the gears with a little more caution while Jones repeatedly hit the accelerator.

Jones showed signs of nerves at Derby, where she had lost chances in 91 and 92, but she now oozed confidence right off the bat.

Beaumont scored a fifty from 64 before she kicked on to reach three figures from 106 balls with a six that sent sailing over long-on, making England’s joint-third fastest in women’s ODIs.

The hosts relentlessly punished West Indies’ inexperienced bowling attack, which struggled to build any consistency or dot ball pressure throughout. This was the first time an opening pair hit back-to-back scores in the history of the format, both men’s and women’s.

In the first 10 overs, Jones’ chances should have been taken by Grimmond at cover, and the bowling skewed both sides of the wicket.

After being eventually dismissed by spinner Karishma Ramharack, England had established a record-setting 378-run lead, before Grimmond, who had a spectacular one-handed catch, delivered the tourists’ highlight as England accelerated to the final five overs.

There will undoubtedly be more difficult tests to come for England’s new opening pair and for number three Lamb, who made a 41-ball fifty, despite the confidence that will come from posting 346 and 366 consecutive games.

From the moment Matthews’ omission was announced at the toss, the situation resembled that of a woman scurrying around the Leicester boundary while wearing a coat and a bobble hat and chatting to the fielders in what was likely an attempt to offer much-needed encouragement or advice.

With her explosive opening partner Qiana Joseph also absent, and the experienced duo of Deandra Dottin and Chinelle Henry completely missing, their batting effort did little to lessen the concern.

There was little else on which England could base its bowling on other than the exceptional short ball, which was particularly impressive when she whacked Lauren Bell for two powerful sixes over the leg side.

England did not bowl well, but considering their superiority in every way, they should have bowled the West Indies out despite them only scoring one shot in disbelief at halfway.

Filer bowled at a lively pace, reaching 77 mph, and was unfazed by his untimely injury return. When she hit the target, she slammed through Jahzara Claxton’s defenses for 18 and Afy Fletcher’s for eight in a matter of one over, putting England on the verge of victory.

We wanted to “bowl into good areas” before starting. Unfortunately, it didn’t go the way we wanted, and we worked hard to do it.

Amy Jones, the player of the match: “It’s quite funny how it’s turned out after a lot of games. I enjoyed today and think it’s cool to work with Tammy Beaumont.

You must rely on your luck to open a business. I did that today, but I’m pleased to have her run around.

On BBC Test Match Special, former England captain Alex Hartley reflects, “It’s encouraging to see that the future is bright and that there is competition for the spots.

You once had a sense of who would be playing every game. It could also change at any time.