Blues striker Liam Delap is reportedly set to undergo a medical at Chelsea on Monday.

TWTD revealed on Tuesday that the West Londoners were closing in on signing the 22-year-old, who spoke to a number of interested sides during the final couple of weeks of the season.

On Thursday, the West Londoners triggered the £30 million relegation release clause in the deal the England U21 international signed last summer and now, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, documents relating to the switch have been exchanged and a medical booked for Monday.

The Winchester-born frontman previously worked with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca during his spell as U21s manager at Manchester City where he came through the ranks alongside Cole Palmer.

Delap joined the Blues for an initial £15 million last summer from City, who are understood to be due 20 per cent of Town’s profit.

Chairman and CEO Mark Ashton has explained why when Delap joined Town last summer, the club had to agree to a contract which will see Delap move on for a fee most view as lower than his market value.

“The reality is that when there’s a high profile player who is wanted by several clubs you get presented with a term sheet – ‘those are the terms for the club’ and ‘those are the terms for the player’,” he told the EADT.

“You’re told, ‘If you want to talk to the player and give your pitch to sign him you have to agree to those terms because if you don't then there are six other clubs who will agree’.

“We speak to other clubs, we know the market, so we know that that’s not lies. So there is very little to negotiate. You’re taking it or you’re leaving it.”

Regarding his much-publicised comment that the club was well-protected regarding Delap, Ashton added: “You protect yourself to the best of your ability. The board and major shareholders all know what you’re getting into.

“That means, at that point in time, you are going to break the record purchase for the football club and if you sell that player you’re going to break the record sales for the football club.

“And also – remember, I'm not talking about any specific player – when that player moves on you retain a percentage of his future profit as well. You’re protected.

“With all our players we know where we are with them. The ownership know where the cash flows are with them. You have to look at it with an investment bank-like view across the board.

“As I said, I think a couple of players will leave the club this summer - not huge, not handfuls. One [Delap] has been very heavily publicised, hasn't been publicised by us.

“I think if I was an Ipswich fan I'd be frustrated at the amount of times that's been in the press, but when things are in the press, particularly the nationals, they’re in there for a reason and that will be agents or other clubs trying to unsettle players, trying to build markets for players etc.

“So all I can say to the fanbase is we have been as open and honest as we can be since we joined this football club. Every decision we make is in the best interest of this football club, but we have to deal with the market as it is. This football club is always protected moving forward.”

The short 10-day first mini-transfer window of the summer is set to open on Sunday. That has been introduced ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup but it’s understood Delap wouldn’t be able to play for Chelsea in that competition as he’ll be with the England U21s at the European Championship in Slovakia, that tournament taking precedence.

One-time Derby County academy youngster Delap played his final game for Town against West Ham United on Sunday, coming on as a second-half sub.

In total, he made 32 starts and eight sub appearances in his one campaign with the club, scoring 12 times.

Photo: Matchday Images

barrystedmunds added 16:31 - May 31 Amazing the comments on here regarding contracts as I’m assuming “those in the know” are wheeling and dealing these things on a daily basis! Ashton has explained the situation and yet folk still insist we’ve been shafted. Unbelievable Jeff!
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armchaircritic59 added 17:41 - May 31 Widj123, worst season in our history? You can't have been around too long. I go back to 1963 and I can tell you it most certainly isn't! Even in very recent times, if you think that bumming around mid table in league one is better, then good luck with that.
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ArnieM added 17:41 - May 31 We haven't made £12m profit. More like £7m ( if u read Stuart Watson interview with Ashton re someone called Delap. But let's not beat about the bush here, Town have been used as a stepping stone for this player and his agent, and it has ALWAYS been about the money! Football today stinks!
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BeattiesBackPocket added 23:12 - May 31 Well to the moaners on here it mainly blue boy and Widj123 it appears from Ashtons interview my comment was right. It was the players reps who said this was their players request as didn’t want to be proved out of a move to the prem if relegation happened. So would you rather as I said previously make 10 mill in one season from someone who was by most of the same idiots on here and I quote ‘not good enough for the championship’ or not get him and make 10 million in the process?? Some proper lack of football knowledge and on this page from the same moaners we’d be in administration again if they ran the club!

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1RWR added 07:59 - Jun 1 There are a few on here who have to realise that, unfortunately, today’s football is a business. You buy right and you sell right, simple as that. Ashton has bought Delap along with certain conditions and he’s sold accordingly. ITFC haven’t been shafted, it’s simply how it now works, agents earn their money with contracts that stipulate a release clause, everyone knows that when going in for a player. Please don’t have a snide comment at Delap or Ashton or even ITFC…..it’s simply the market. We’ll be stronger whatever happens, the sky is blue & white.

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armchaircritic59 added 17:56 - Jun 1 BeattiesBackPocket, I agree and I'd go even further, we wouldn't even have a club to go into administration! Like it or not, football is as much a business as it a sport these days. No one however, has a right to put the well being of football club in danger, that includes any current owners. We all know who really owns a football club anyway, the supporters. Without them, any club would be an irrelevance. At least I think our current owners and the likes of MA understand that, not too many do, it seems.

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