Chelsea desperately needs to sign £65m title winner after being absolutely bullied by Liam Delap

Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap gave Chelsea's defence a torrid time on Monday in his side's 2-0 win at Portman Road.

Tosin Adarabioyo particularly struggled against Liam Delap, who opened the scoring for Kieran McKenna's men before former Chelsea player Omari Hutchinson killed off the game.

Looking at Chelsea's central defence, Enzo Maresca has the numbers when everyone is fit and does not have terrible options.

However, because of Wesley Fofana's injury problems, rarely is everyone fit, while this Blues backline still lacks experience. In 2025, that needs to change.

Chelsea lacked a Ruben Dias-like figure in Ipswich Town defeat

One defender who has been linked with a move to Chelsea is Manchester City's Ruben Dias. Earlier this month, it was reported that Chelsea would love to sign Dias.

When you look at how Chelsea struggled physically against Delap and crumbled under the immense atmosphere at Portman Road, you can make the argument that the team is lacking someone like Dias.

The 27-year-old is a strong, dominant, experienced centre-half who is capable of leading a side.

"He's not just a player with skills, he's a natural leader - you have to be to be captain of a team like Benfica, one of the greatest teams of all time in Europe, at 23," Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports when speaking about Dias in 2020.

If Chelsea's aspirations are to win the Premier League title in the future, then they need a central defender like that. City signed Dias from Benfica for £65m more than four years ago.

Since arriving at the Etihad, the Portugal international has won the Premier League title four times.

Levi Colwill and Ruben Dias could be the perfect partnership

If Chelsea do manage to pull off signing Dias somehow, then the former Benfica man is likely to start alongside Levi Colwill in central defence. It could be a terrific partnership.

It would be a blend of youth and experience, with Colwill still being 21 years of age. Dias, who has proven to be real captain material at City, could also help the England international develop into more of a leader.

Ultimately, Colwill and Dias could complement each other nicely. After watching Cole Palmer develop into one of the best players in the Premier League at Chelsea, though, City may be more cautious about doing business with their division rivals in the future.