Chelsea can move one step closer to sealing bargain Liam Delap transfer this weekend

can move one step closer to sealing a bargain transfer for Liam Delap this weekend. Enzo Maresca's side host Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday.

Delap, 22, after impressing in his debut top-flight campaign. The forward has 12 goals in 30 league matches this season.

Despite an excellent individual season, Delap has not been able to prevent Ipswich from dropping on the verge of relegation from the Premier League. Kieran McKenna's men sit 18th and 12 point adrift of 17th-place Wolves with seven matches ago. While Ipswich can still stay in the top flight, their fate is all-but done.

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And should Ipswich drop back down to the Championship, Delap's reported £40million release clause in his contract will drop down to £30m, football.london understands.

When Delap signed his five-year contract at Ipswich last summer, there was a clause inserted that he could leave for £10m less if the club didn't stay in the Premier League. As it stands, Ipswich are on course to return to the Championship, meaning Delap's release clause is set to reduce to £30m.

Chelsea have the chance to push Ipswich closer to the relegation trap door with a win at Stamford Bridge this weekend, and bring themselves near to completing a bargain deal to sign Delap.

The sooner Ipswich are relegated, the sooner Chelsea will know for definite that Delap's release clause will stand at £30m, even if it looks likely that the Tractor Boys will finish inside the bottom three.

They can move one step closer to sealing a £30m deal by edging Ipswich closer to relegation and ensuring the breakout clause is £10m cheaper. As well as this, the Blues will get a first-hand look at Delap.

Delap, who joined Ipswich for £15m from Manchester City last summer, would bring pace, strength and power to the Chelsea attack. And ex-Blues defender Frank Sinclair has backed the club's pursuit of the England Under-21 international.

He said: "I quite like the look of a target-man like [Liam] Delap, I think he would be a brilliant signing for Chelsea. You're signing a little bit of potential, but I think he has 12 goals this season in a side that has struggled, so if you put him in a Chelsea team I think Delap would get 20-plus goals for you guaranteed.

"It'll be interesting to see how Enzo [Maresca] looks at it. Does he want someone who can come in and hit the ground running and be an experienced centre forward that he will have to get from abroad, or does he go for a young, English talent that has proven that he can score goals at the level? I like the Delap one."