Bought for £30m from relegation side Ipswich Town, Delap has failed to live up to expectations in West London, scoring two goals and one assist from 23 appearances in all competitions.
The Englishman has very little chance of making it into Thomas Tuchel’s England side for the World Cup and rarely gets a chance ahead of Joao Pedro who has flourished under Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.
In 17 appearances in the Premier League, just nine have been starts. He has also played 90 minutes just twice since the start of 2026 as he struggles to get off the bench.
Speaking to the Stick to Football podcast, Carragher has spoken honestly on Delap who he feels should have joined a mid-table side.
“It was a bad move. Honestly, it was a bad move going to Chelsea.
“I just think young players, when they’re on a journey and getting better, the jump from Ipswich and Chelsea was too big, he needed somewhere in the middle.
“Somewhere like Everton. If you play centre forward for Everton and play every game and know even if you have a few bad games you’re still going to play.”
Delap was linked with a number of top clubs ahead of the summer transfer window due to his £30M release clause being widely reported. However, he was tempted to join The Blues in a decision he may now regret.