Chelsea are admirers of Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap but any move for the former Manchester City man is unlikely to be done next month.

football.london understands the Blues have a long standing interest in Delap, who is impressing in his first season in the Premier League. The 21-year-old forward has scored six goals in 17 league appearances this season, while providing one assist in the process.

Delap came through the Manchester City academy and even worked with Enzo Maresca for a season when the Italian was part of the club's Development Squad coaching staff a few years ago. "Liam is a fantastic player," Maresca said earlier in the week. "Also for his age, we spent one year together. I think in that season, he scored 22 or 24 goals.

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"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, and it 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."

Cole Palmer, like Delap, also used to work with Maresca during their days at Man City. And look how that has worked out - not that every player can enjoy the same success as Palmer has done at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer and the Blues will take on Delap on Monday evening as Chelsea travel to Ipswich in the Premier League. After being beaten in agonising fashion on Boxing Day at home to Fulham, Chelsea will be looking to keep the pressure on league leaders Liverpool with three points at Portman Road.

Chelsea will be hoping either Delap has an off-day, or their central defenders are able to keep tabs of the talented English forward. Kieran McKenna was one of the names linked with the Chelsea head coach role before Maresca was appointed in the summer.

Speaking about the Ipswich boss, who signed a contract extension at Portman Road shortly after Maresca was appointed, the Chelsea head coach said: "He is doing fantastic since he joined Ipswich. They are doing top.

"Even this year, they are doing well, so congratulations to him for the way he is doing everything since he joined the club."