London, Jun 5 (AP) Chelsea signed striker Liam Delap from relegated Ipswich in time to play at the Club World Cup after activating his release clause of 30 million pounds (USD 40 million). Chelsea on Wednesday used the opening of a special trading window from June 1-10 to add a centre forward to its squad, with the 22-year-old Delap set to provide competition for first-choice striker Nicolas Jackson. Also Read | Bengaluru Stampede: Overcrowding, Free Passes Among Causes of Stampede Near Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium, Say Police Sources as 11 Dead During RCB Victory Parade. He signed a six-year contract to keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2031. Delap scored 12 league goals — representing one-third of Ipswich's topflight total last season — and joins a resurgent Chelsea team that finished fourth in the Premier League and won the third-tier Conference League title under manager Enzo Maresca. Also Read | Will Cristiano Ronaldo Play Tonight in Germany vs Portugal UEFA Nations League 2024-25 Match? Here's the Possibility of CR7 Featuring in Starting XI. "I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach," Delap told club media. "It's going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies." Chelsea's first group-stage match at the Club World Cup, being held in the United States, is against Mexican club Leon on June 16 in Atlanta. Delap, who left Manchester City to join Ipswich in last year's offseason, was also reportedly interesting Manchester United. He joined City's youth academy in 2019 and played on the club's elite development squad under Maresca, who was then a member of Pep Guardiola's coaching staff. Chelsea's American ownership group has spent heavily on players — with a particular focus on those in their early 20s — since buying out Roman Abramovich in 2022. Delap has played for England through the youth levels but not yet for the senior team. He was named on England's team for the Under-21 European Championship taking place this month in Slovakia. The final roster is expected Friday. Delap is also eligible to play for Ireland. His father, English-born Rory Delap, represented Ireland. AP (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)