Can Liam Delap break Chelsea's No.9 curse - or become its next victim?

Can Lian Delap break Chelsea's No. 9 curse? Liam Delap becomes Chelsea's new No. 9 as he looks to break the club's long-standing striker curse in the Premier League era.

Can Liam Delap break Chelsea's No.9 curse? Chelsea’s new 30 million-pound signing Liam Delap is already drawing eyes at Stamford Bridge — not only for his price tag or his Premier League pedigree, but for the number on the back of his shirt. The 22-year-old has taken on Chelsea’s iconic but famously “cursed” number 9 jersey — a number that has overwhelmed some of the biggest names in football since the dawn of the Premier League era.

The Blues snapped up Delap from Ipswich Town in a 30 million-pound deal — though Manchester City, where Delap came through the youth ranks under current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, are due 30% of the fee (around 10 million euros). Despite Ipswich’s relegation, Delap made headlines with his 12 goals in 37 appearances, and Chelsea clearly believe they have a long-term solution for their troubled forward line.

Delap has signed a contract until 2031 and didn’t hesitate to embrace the challenge. "I wanted to come here to win trophies," he said. "When I spoke with the club, everyone wanted to return to the top, and they have the quality and the players necessary to achieve that. The hunger and desire to continue winning trophies, to take the club back to where it deserves, that's the main objective."

At Chelsea, Delap reunites with Maresca, as well as former Manchester City teammates Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia — a group that once delivered the Premier League 2 title. “Maresca is a magnificent coach and he helped us all develop enormously. What we achieved that season was record-breaking, and what he's achieved since then, and what players of that caliber have achieved, is incredible,” Delap noted.

But as he dons the number 9 shirt, the question looms large: Can Liam Delap break the No. 9 curse at Chelsea?

Chelsea's No.9 Curse: A Legacy Of Struggles And Missed Opportunities

Since squad numbers were introduced in 1993, the No. 9 shirt at Chelsea has been a revolving door of misfires, brief flashes of success, and long-term frustration. Here's a breakdown of Chelsea players to wear the iconic (and often ill-fated) number 9 shirt in the Premier League era:

• Tony Cascarino: Chelsea’s first Premier League No. 9 in 1993/94. Struggled with injuries and left after one season with just 4 goals.
• Mark Stein: Scored in 7 straight Premier League games at one point. 25 goals in 63 appearances—not bad.
• Gianluca Vialli: Champions League winner. Became player-manager and won multiple trophies. Scored 40 in 78 games.
• Chris Sutton: 10 million-pound flop who scored just once in the league. Even Ken Bates called it a “disaster”.
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink: Golden Boot winner with thunderous strikes. 87 goals in 177 games.
• Mateja Kezman: PSV goal machine who failed to deliver. Just 4 league goals in one season.
• Hernan Crespo: Not as bad as remembered. Reached double digits twice in the league, sandwiched by a Milan loan.
• Khalid Boulahrouz: A defender wearing the No. 9 shirt. That says it all.
• Steve Sidwell: Midfielder randomly assigned the shirt. Spent just one season at the Bridge.
• Franco Di Santo: Seen as a long-term striker hope, but failed to score in 8 league games.
• Fernando Torres: Cost 50 million pounds and underwhelmed in league terms, but his iconic goal in the Champions League semi-final vs Barcelona cemented his legacy.
• Radamel Falcao: Worse than his Manchester United stint. Just 1 goal in 12 games.
• Alvaro Morata: Started hot but faded. 24 goals in 75 games—not enough for a 60 million-pound man.
• Gonzalo Higuain: Came on loan, scored 5 goals, left with little impact.
• Tammy Abraham: Productive during Frank Lampard’s tenure. 30 goals in 82 games.
• Romelu Lukaku (Second Spell): 97.5 million-pound signing turned PR disaster. Just 8 league goals and controversial interview.
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: A 12 million-pound short-term fix that failed. Just 3 goals before departing.

Will Delap Be The Exception?

In total, Chelsea’s No. 9 shirt has seen over a dozen players try and fail to cement a legacy at the club. Only Vialli, Hasselbaink, and arguably Abraham stand out among the wreckage of false dawns.

Delap now carries the weight of that history.

But at 22, he brings with him more than just raw ability. He’s already experienced Premier League football. He’s worked with Maresca before. And most importantly, he seems hungry.

"I want to take the club back to where it deserves, that's the main objective," Delap said with conviction — echoing the voice of a man who knows the history he’s up against.

Whether he can rewrite it, only time will tell. But for a club desperate for a reliable striker, Liam Delap might just be the one to end the curse — or become its next victim.