Delap loses number nine shirt & trains away from first team
Chelsea have split their players into two training groups at Cobham, involving several players who could move before the transfer window closes, including Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk.
Chelsea striker Liam Delap has forfeited the number nine shirt and now trains apart from the first-team squad. Several other players, including Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk, are also training in a distinct group at Cobham ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1st. However, this approach is not as isolating as last season when players like Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi were treated differently, which prompted the Professional Footballers' Association to raise concerns.
The current group includes Tosin Adarabioyo, Disasi, Danny Welbeck, and Jordan Henderson, and training sessions are held adjacent to Xabi Alonso's main squad. Academy players are also part of the mix, and movement between groups is still possible. Chelsea is seeking a £65 million price tag for Jackson, £50 million for Delap, and £25 million for Disasi.
Mudryk, 25, has not played a competitive match since November 2024 but is now available for loan after resolving a doping case. Tosin, 28, is attracting interest from various Premier League clubs, while Delap, 28, joined Chelsea for £30 million last summer but scored only one Premier League goal in 28 appearances, most of which came as a substitute. He was given the number nine shirt, which is now held by Joao Pedro.
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