Former Chelsea defender William Gallas has urged caution over the hype surrounding new Chelsea striker Liam Delap, who has been touted by some fans and pundits as the natural heir to England captain Harry Kane.

Delap, who arrived at Stamford Bridge at the end of the 2024-25 season after Chelsea triggered his £30 million release clause, has hit the ground running.

The young striker impressed during the Club World Cup in the United States, where he was quickly integrated into Enzo Maresca’s squad.

He made his debut off the bench in Chelsea’s opening 2-0 victory over LAFC, providing an assist that helped seal the win. He then started the next three matches, capping off his group stage performances with his first goal for the club against ES Tunis.

Despite Delap’s encouraging start in a Chelsea shirt, Gallas believes it’s far too early to draw comparisons with Kane.

Gallas said: “People are saying Liam Delap is Harry Kane’s replacement – but he’s still got a long way to go and people need to relax over him. He did well for Ipswich, but there’s more pressure now and we’ll have to wait and see how he handles it.”