Liam Delap has already started paying for himself, making Chelsea profitable in terms of his recent arrival.
Specifically, his £30 million transfer fee from Ipswich just three weeks ago is effectively covered.
Credit: Getty
Credit: Getty
Delap scored his first goal for Chelsea in a 3-0 victory over ES Tunis, securing their spot in the Club World Cup knockout stages.
By reaching the last 16, Chelsea have already earned £33.8 million from the Club World Cup.
This amount more than covers the 22-year-old`s transfer fee, exceeding it by £3.8 million.
However, this surplus barely covers the first eight months of Delap`s salary.
The former England Under-21 international signed a contract at Stamford Bridge reportedly worth around £100,000 per week, totaling £5.2 million annually until 2031.
Chelsea secured the initial £25 million from the CWC merely by participating, without needing to exert themselves in the intense USA heat.
This sum was the payout simply for participating in the 64-team tournament.
However, Chelsea earned nothing (financially or points-wise) from their first Group D match, where Flamengo came back to win 3-1.
Credit: Getty
But wins against Los Angeles and Tunis brought in £1.5 million each.
That`s £3 million, with an additional £5.8 million earned for reaching the knockout phase.
Solid financial return – generated after signing a forward known for his strong, physical style of play.
Delap enjoys the physical, aggressive aspects of the game, similar to an old-fashioned target man.
He commented: “Yes, I love those battles. I always have since I was a child.
“I genuinely enjoy the aggressive element and the competitive spirit of the team.
“It needs to be controlled at times, but ultimately, it`s part of my game, and I enjoy it.”
Furthermore, he`s not at all intimidated by Chelsea giving him the iconic number 9 shirt.
Several high-profile players, including Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, Alvaro Morata, Gonzalo Higuain, and Romelu Lukaku, previously struggled to perform consistently for Chelsea while wearing that shirt number.
But Delap told talkSPORT: “I chose it. Ultimately, it`s just a number on the back of your shirt.
“The number nine has always been associated with strikers, which is something I appreciate, but I feel no pressure.”
Of course, it`s too early to say if Delap will be successful wearing that shirt number.
But financially, he is already proving his worth for Chelsea.
