Ex-Chelsea striker Tore Andre Flo believes his former club have made a “very smart move” by recruiting Liam Delap from Ipswich this summer.

Speaking to Chelsea News in April, Paul Parker compared Delap to Diego Costa. Asked about the similarities in a new exclusive interview (courtesy of BestBettingSites.co.uk), Flo said that the £30m signing does possess the necessary attributes to be a success at Stamford Bridge:

“He’s got all kinds of qualities. He is quick, he’s got good technique, he’s got power and he’s got clever movement. But then I was looking at Ipswich and I was thinking, is the gap a little bit too big? But I think he’s got some things that Nicolas Jackson doesn’t have and that could be a very smart move from Chelsea. Now they have a few different types of players.”

“I think Jackson is very quick, direct, while Delap could be smart in his movements, be in the right place at the right time. It remains to be seen if he can withstand those comparisons with Diego Costa, but I think to me it looks like a very smart move by Chelsea. He’s done well. He’s in form. He’s up and coming. Yeah, it will be exciting to see him at Stamford Bridge next season.”

“I think that’s a good sign as well. The coach knows him from when he was a younger guy at Man City, when he was coming through there. I think he’s got all the makings of the kind of player to make it a successful move. That’s the big question, isn’t it? It’s whether or not he can handle the pressure that goes with being the main man at Chelsea, or being one of them.”

Delap made a good impression on his debut

The 22-year-old made his first appearance for the Blues during the Club World Cup group fixture against Los Angeles FC on Monday night.

Delap caught the eye after replacing Jackson in the second half, setting up Enzo Fernandez with a pinpoint cross for Chelsea’s second goal in the 2-0 win at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Chelsea could still bring in another striker

Delap may yet face more competition for starts, with Enzo Maresca’s side reportedly keen on adding Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike to their squad.

The Frenchman’s €100m (£85m) asking price is proving to be an issue, but if he does end up moving to London, it may raise questions about the future of Jackson.

In other news, Shaun Wright-Phillips has exclusively told us that a 20-year-old winger “will shine” if he secures his switch to Chelsea