Ipswich have perfect first transfer as Premier League promotion confirmed | Football | Sport

While the celebrations in Suffolk will go on for some time, it won’t be long before the Tractor Boys start preparing for life in the Premier League. They will be hoping to give a better account of themselves next season, having gone down with a whimper last time they were among England’s elite.

A summer of change is on the horizon at Portman Road, with not many of the existing squad doing enough to prove themselves as Premier League players over the course of their promotion campaign.

Ipswich were widely expected to walk the league at the start of the season, but they ended up needing a result on the final day to confirm their seat at English football’s top table.

A new striker will be at the top of their wish list, with George Hirst and Ivan Azon flattering to deceive in the Championship with only 16 goals between them.

The obvious solution for Town would be to bring back Liam Delap, who hasn’t impressed at Chelsea since moving to Stamford Bridge last summer.

He’s only managed a single Premier League goal and is very much a bit-part player for the west Londoners, with Joao Pedro firmly ahead of him in the pecking order.

Delap was a revelation in a poor Ipswich side last season and could reap the rewards of going back there in the summer. He remains well-liked by the Blues fanbase and his return to Suffolk would be welcomed with open arms.

Chelsea might be willing to let him leave for a relatively modest fee in order to get his salary off the books, which could suit Ipswich down to the ground.

In fact, it’s arguably the perfect move for all parties. Ipswich would be getting a proven striker who has already shown that he can score at lower Premier League level, which is exactly what they need in their efforts to stay up.

Delap would be going back to a club where he is revered, giving him the chance to rediscover his shooting boots away from the limelight of Chelsea.

And for the Blues, they would be getting rid of a flop signing who doesn’t suit their style, allowing them to reinvest his salary into signing someone better.

Only time will tell if Delap ends up returning to Ipswich in the summer, but it certainly seems like a no-brainer for everybody involved.