Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi says he expects Nicolas Jackson to start next season as the first-choice striker after revealing supporters wanted Victor Osimhen signed instead of Liam Delap.

A former Premier League striker has found one fault with Liam Delap's debut performance against Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup.

New Chelsea star Liam Delap has addressed the competition for the striker position after an impressive debut for the Blues against LAFC at the Club World Cup.

Chelsea secured a 2-0 victorhy over LAFC in their FIFA Club World Cup 2025 fixture on 17 June, courtesy of goals from Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez

New Chelsea striker Liam Delap has responded on Instagram after making his Chelsea debut and having a solid first appearance in blue. Chelsea beat Los Angeles FC 2-0 in their Club World Cup opening group game last night in what was a very strange and subdued atmosphere in front of just 22,000 people in a huge stadium.

John Obi Mikel backs Liam Delap to be a success at Stamford Bridge, but claims Chelsea fans wanted Victor Osimhen. Chelsea tried to sign Osimhen last summer, however, this time around, the Blues didn’t show much interest and instead signed Delap.

The topic came back to Delap later in the conversation, when an ESPN writer asked what Maresca had told Delap to try and persuade him to join – had he made promises about being first choice (hence getting the number 9 shirt usually reserved for the main striker of a team) or was he in a battle with Nicolas Jackson?

The summer transfer window’s first deadline has passed ahead of the upcoming Club World Cup. Because of the newly expanded tournament, FIFA allowed for an earlier opening of the market so that clubs could sign and register players in time for the inaugural competition.