Delap: Cole Palmer convinced me to join Chelsea

Liam Delap has revealed Cole Palmer helped person him to articulation Chelsea this summer.

The 22-year-old attracted involvement from a big of clubs including Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United but eventually settled connected Stamford Bridge, completing a £30 cardinal ($40.4m) transportation earlier this month.

Delap and Palmer played successful the aforesaid younker squad astatine Manchester City -- winning the Premier League 2 rubric successful 2020-21 -- and the striker revealed helium sought his erstwhile teammate's proposal portion deciding what to do.

"Yeah I spoke to him a small bit," Delap said. "Asked him what I needed to inquire him. He told maine what I needed to know. I don't similar excessively overmuch information. Ultimately it was my determination truthful I benignant of conscionable privation my caput to beryllium wide truthful not excessively much. [I've known him] since I was 15, playing astatine City with him. I've got a bully narration with him truthful it was bully to spot a acquainted face.

"There are truthful galore factors that spell into it. I've got a bully narration with the manager. I cognize however helium plays. I've played successful this strategy before. I cognize a batch of the players present and the task of the club, however they spot the future. That's what excited me."

Palmer completed his ain determination from City to Chelsea successful the summertime of 2023 and has since gone connected to go 1 of the Premier League's biggest stars.

It is simply a way Delap hopes to emulate.

"Of course, that's the goal," helium said. "I deliberation we some had akin positions and he's gone and smashed it truthful hopefully I tin also. I deliberation he's ever been that bully and everyone astatine City volition archer you that. The complaint he's done it astatine is incredible. But I deliberation yet it was ever going to happen."

Delap besides confirmed the determination changed his summertime plans, having primitively targeted a tally astatine the European under-21 Championships with England.

"I had my sights acceptable connected the Euros each play and I was truly looking guardant to that," Delap said.

"But I signed present and they wanted maine to beryllium here. I privation to beryllium present arsenic well. I request to get to cognize everyone truthful that's wherefore I'm here."

Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca has suggested Delap could beryllium a aboriginal No. 9 for England and erstwhile asked whether helium had spoken to seniors brag Thomas Tuchel, Delap said: "I deliberation evidently it's going to assistance being astatine a nine similar this. If I'm playing severely past evidently I cognize I'm not going to beryllium successful but if I'm playing good past it gives maine a bully chance."