Chelsea have beaten Manchester United to the £30 million ($40.5m) signing of Liam Delap with sources telling ESPN that the Conference League winners are close to finalising a deal for the Ipswich Town forward.
Delap, 22, had also been the subject of interest from Newcastle United and Everton, but the prospect of playing alongside former Manchester City teammate Cole Palmer at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League next season swung his decision in Chelsea's favour despite long-term interest from United.
ESPN reported last week that Delap would make his final choice after United's Europa League final clash with Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao due to the implications of winning and losing for Ruben Amorim's side.
Had United beaten Spurs to lift the Europa League trophy, the club would have clinched a place in next season's Champions League, but their defeat against Ange Postecoglou's team means that Amorim and his players will not play in any European competition next season and sources have said that reality edged Delap towards Chelsea.
Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea are now in the final stages of negotiations with Delap, who is available for £30m due to a clause in his Ipswich contract in the event of the club being relegated from the Premier League.
Delap scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League games for Kieran McKenna's team, but his contribution was not enough to keep the Portman Road side in the top division.
And with City opting against triggering a £40m clause that would take Delap back to the Etihad, the forward has now given Chelsea the green light to seal a deal in time for him to play in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States later this month.
