Fabrizio Romano details Chelsea's plans for the winter window, names 3 players likely to leave in January

Italian journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has detailed Chelsea's plans for the January transfer window. Three players, namely Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Ben Chilwell may leave the club this winter.

Since the arrival of new coach Enzo Maresca in the summer of 2024, Chelsea have been performing better than last season. The Blues sit third in the Premier League table with 35 points off 18 games, with Liverpool (42 points) and Arsenal (36 points) ahead of them. With the January transfer window approaching, the west London side will have to make some key decisions regarding their squad.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are happy with their overall situation at the moment. They are not desperate to sign any players in January. However, the potential departures of Cesare Casadei, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Ben Chilwell are on the cards.

Romano also named Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap as one of the players Chelsea are keeping their tabs on. The Blues boss Enzo Maresca is reportedly fond of the forward and has publicly praised the Englishman as well. Maresca has previously managed Delap for a year during his time at the Manchester City U-23 side. They won the PL2 title together.

However, the Blues are unlikely to sign Liam Delap in January, per Romano. He is a target for the summer transfer window based on his performances in the latter half of the season. The 21-year-old has been performing well for Ipswich Town this season, having contributed six goals and one assist in 18 outings across competitions.

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"Fantastic player" - Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca waxes lyrical on Liam Delap amid reported transfer interest

Liam Delap - Source: Getty

Ahead of Chelsea's clash against Ipswich Town on December 30 in the Premier League, the Blues boss Enzo Maresca has heaped praise on striker Liam Delap. He told reporters (via footballtransfers):

"Liam is a fantastic player. Also for his age, we spent one year together. I think in that season, he scored 22 or 24 goals. This is a very good striker - as I've said many times, England are quite lucky because they have very good players, very good strikers."

"He is working hard off the ball, on the ball he understands the game and he can score goals. Because of his age, I think he can be an important player for England.”

Liam Delap is often considered one of the most promising young strikers in the Premier League. Although Nicolas Jackson has been doing well for the west London side this season (nine goals and three assists in 18 outings), Delap's signing could add more depth to their attack.

If Maresca's men can keep up their performance or improve, they may return to UEFA Champions League football next season. Delap's signing may prove fruitful in that case, with Christopher Nkunku's future reportedly uncertain.