Chelsea’s signing of Liam Delap will likely be the first of many by Enzo Maresca this summer.
The Blues are getting ready to take part in the Club World Cup in the coming weeks and with the prize money for the winner standing at a reported $125m (£92m), then it is certainly within their interest to go far.
It would be an ideal time for the manager to get Delap settled into the squad, while also spending time making moves for other targets.
The Stamford Bridge side have enjoyed the talents of many a Spanish player over the previous two decades. The likes of Fernando Torres, Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata were all Champions League-winning stars for the Blues.
Might they be set to bring in another Spaniard to the club this summer?
Chelsea lodge bids for two new signings
Delap cost the club £30m due to a release clause in his contract that came into play following Ipswich Town’s relegation from the Premier League, with that marking the first move of what could prove to be a hectic summer, not least amid their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens.
As widely reported on Saturday evening, the Blues have lodged an offer in the region of £30m for the young Englishman, with an agreement having already been reached with the 20-year-old.
That comes amid reports in Spain – via TEAMtalk, which suggest that Chelsea have also submitted another bid worth €75m (£63m) to try and sign Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez.
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With the La Liga side still enduring financial issues, they may be tempted to accept a bid of this nature, despite Lopez being one of the brightest talents.
Man United are also keen on securing a deal for the player, and it will be interesting to see how everything plays out.
Should the Blues succeed, Maresca might just be signing his very own Mata for the club.
Why Chelsea must sign Fermin Lopez
Mata arrived in London from LaLiga side Valencia aged just 23 – a year older than Lopez is – and he ended his association with the club by registering 86 goal contributions across 135 matches.
His creative ability and eye for goal made him a cult figure among the Chelsea support, and they haven’t quite replaced the quirkiness of the Spanish midfielder.
Lopez certainly has the same eye for goal. In 46 games for Barcelona last season, he scored eight times. Add in a further ten assists, and it is evident the youngster comes to life in the final third, having been hailed as the “whole package” by former boss Xavi Hernandez.
When compared to his peers in La Liga during 2024/25, Lopez ranked in the top 8% for total shots (2.95), top 6% for non-penalty goals (0.43) and in the top 4% for assists (0.36) per 90.
Goals
1
Assists
3
Big chances created
3
Key passes per game
0.5
Shots per game
1.5
Total duels won per game
2.1
Furthermore, the Spaniard also created eight big chances for Barcelona, while averaging one key pass per game in the Spanish top flight.
After helping his side win another La Liga title, Lopez was hailed for his contributions by talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as “an intelligent & hardworking midfielder” who has “proven to be a superb impact player for Barça”.
High praise indeed and with Chelsea partaking in the Champions League next term, bringing players like Lopez – and Gittens – to the club will be vital.
The last time the club signed a diminutive Spanish midfielder with an eye for goal from La Liga, they went on to win Europe’s premier club competition.
This time, Lopez could be Mata 2.0.
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