Chelsea will ask Liam Delap to put the Club World Cup ahead of England in another club-against-country row this summer.

Chelsea have lit the blue touchpaper of the transfer market by securing Ipswich Town’s star striker Liam Delap for $40m, beating rivals Manchester United and Newcastle to his signature. The 22-year-old England youth international’s dynamic flair and proven goal-scoring prowess promise to bolster Enzo Maresca’s ambitious squad.

In a counter-attacking Ipswich side, Delap’s powerful, driving runs forward have been a theme of his season as he has shouldered much of the attacking responsibility with a return of 10 non-penalty goals — at an overall rate of over one goal every three games — for his efforts.