Chelsea coach has heaped praises on Ipswich Town striker, Liam Delap, describing him as a fantastic player, while maintaining his preference for Nicolas Jackson.
The Blues have been linked with Delap, who has been impressive for Ipswich Town this season despite their relegation struggles.
The Man City academy graduate has scored 12 goals in the Premier League this season coupled with battling performances.
His impressive showing has attracted interest from Chelsea, and Manchester United, who have been rumoured to be preparing a summer bid for the English forward.
Maresca is not a stranger to Delap, he was in charge of Manchester City’s youth team when Delap broke through the ranks.
The Chelsea manager reserved praises for Delap, while backing him to become a top player.
Maresca said: “In terms of numbers, he’s doing fantastic. It’s not just in terms of his numbers. The way he plays and fights and is always ‘there.’ But he’s an Ipswich player. He’s an enemy on Sunday because we need to beat them, and then after the game I wish him all the best for the future.
“He’s already very good. I know Liam from five, six years ago. He can be a top player, it all depends on him.”
Chelsea have struggled for firepower upfront with Nico Jackson scoring just nine Premier League goals before getting injured in February.
The Senegalese striker is known for missing clearcut chances, but Maresca still gave faith in him ahead of the crucial stage of the season.
He said: “To compare Liam [Delap] with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, I think it’s a bit early. But for sure, in terms of style he’s that kind of player. They are all real nines. They are nines inside the box.
“But we also have a good nine [in Jackson]. He’s been doing well since we started. Unfortunately, we’ve missed him, and sometimes you need to miss players to realise how important they are for you.
“With Nico, we are a completely different team compared to when he was injured. We are happy with Nico as our striker.”
The Italian manager was asked to provide update on Chelsea’s summer transfer targets.
Maresca responded: “My perfect No. 9 is exactly Nico Jackson. We already have a No. 9. It’s not summer now.
“If we can have a copy of Nico, it’s OK. I have said many times, and you can see as well, with Nico we are a better team. Nico is the one we need. Last season, he scored goals without penalties. This season he scored goals until he was injured. Now, hopefully he can score more goals without penalties.”
The Blues recorded a 3-0 win over Lega Warsaw in the first leg of their Europa Conference League quarter-final clash on Thursday.
Maresca will be hoping they can replicate the same form against Ipswich Town at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
