A bigger talent than Delap: Chelsea “getting closer” to signing £55m phenom

Chelsea have had a very busy summer so far this year. In addition to making it through to the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup, the club has already been very active in the transfer market.

Enzo Maresca`s side have brought in a number of young talents to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, with perhaps the most exciting acquisition so far being Liam Delap.

However, in exciting news, the club appears close to securing the services of another young star who could be an even bigger talent than the former Ipswich Town player.

Chelsea targeting young talents

So far this summer, Chelsea seems to be continuing their habit of targeting young, up-and-coming talents, with names like Nico Williams and Alejandro Garnacho linked with them over the last few weeks.

However, with Williams now looking set to join Barcelona and Garnacho not being the most popular candidate due to his situation at Manchester United, the Blues have also looked at a host of other youngsters.

Fortunately, the West London club now appears to be closing in on one of these prospects, someone who is arguably a bigger talent than Delap: Jamie Gittens.

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing the Borussia Dortmund star.

In fact, the Italian journalist has revealed that an `agreement is getting closer` as the two sides continue their talks over the player in the US.

While a price is not mentioned in the update, according to other reports from this week, it looks increasingly likely that the Englishman will cost around £55m.

It might be a significant amount for a 20-year-old, but based on his ability and potential, it could prove worthwhile, especially if he is indeed a bigger talent than Delap.

How Gittens compares to Delap

Both youngsters appear destined for brilliant careers at the highest level of the game, but if we had to decide who possesses slightly greater talent, it would be Gittens, for a few distinct reasons.

Firstly, while the former Ipswich Town gem was developing his skills in the Championship last season, the Dortmund prospect was establishing himself in the Bundesliga and even made seven appearances in the Champions League, despite being just 19 years old at the time.

Furthermore, this season, when both players were competing in one of Europe`s top five leagues alongside other competitions, the 20-year-old prospect was, in fact, more productive for the German club than the 22-year-old was for the Tractor Boys.

For example, the `explosive` Reading-born winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 49 appearances, totaling 2,803 minutes. This averages out to a goal or assist every 164.88 minutes.

In contrast, the Winchester-born striker scored 12 goals and two assists in 40 appearances, totaling 2,670 minutes, for the Suffolk side this year. This equates to a goal involvement every 190.71 minutes.

Finally, when we examine their underlying statistics, it becomes clear how much better the talented winger performs compared to his potential new teammate.

For example, he not only excels in crucial attacking metrics like non-penalty goals plus assists and key passes but also contributes defensively with tackles, blocks, and interceptions. This shows he can handle the defensive workload while still significantly impacting the game in the final third.