Chelsea have been sent a "curse" warning over Liam Delap as Emmanuel Petit believes the striker would fail to end the Blues' goal scoring woes.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Chelsea's No.9 shirt has been a burden for strikers
• From Torres to Morata many players have struggled
• Petit sends warning to Ipswich star Delap

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Over the past decade, Chelsea have struggled to find a consistent goal scorer capable of leading the line. High-profile names such as Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata, Radamel Falcao, and Fernando Torres were all brought in with great expectations, only to fall short under the weight of pressure at Stamford Bridge. In fact, the club has twice opted to go through an entire campaign without assigning the number nine jersey – during the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons – perhaps in silent acknowledgement of its cursed status.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Delap, who has impressed during his stint with the relegated Tractor Boys this season, is believed to be a target for Chelsea as the club seeks to resolve its ongoing issues in front of goal. However, Petit is not convinced that the young forward is the right man to break what he refers to as the 'curse' of Chelsea’s No. 9 shirt.

• WHAT PETIT SAID

  In an interview with Petit said: "Delap has quality, I think he has done a great job at Ipswich, but it’s a huge step. He has a really bright future and I have respect for him, but going from Ipswich to Chelsea is huge in terms of expectation and pressure, that number nine position at Chelsea has been a curse for so many players. Chelsea need a striker who is going to score 25 goals a season, will Delap give you that? I’m not so sure."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite the club’s financial strength and ability to attract big names, Chelsea have not seen many strikers live up to their billing in recent memory. Current forward Nicolas Jackson has shown promise but is currently in the line of fire after getting sent off in Sunday's loss at Newcastle.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News