Xabi Alonso left with easy transfer decision as Chelsea win Western Sydney Wanderers goalfest

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For an hour in Sydney, Liam Delap was one of just a few established Chelsea players in a youthful team for the Blues' latest pre-season commitment.When Delap left the field with Xabi Alonso's side 3-2 down, not only had he been outshone by a handful of Chelsea's army of teenage prodigies, but his replacement, Joao Pedro, emphasised why he is Chelsea's main man up front.No sooner had he taken to the pitch, he had created the equalising goal for Jamie Gittens with some fine work. And the Brazilian then plundered the most rapid of hat-tricks in the dying embers of the game to ensure the Blues came out on top in a topsy-turvey game which finished 6-4.In reality, there are plenty of reasons why Delap is likely to be among a number of players offloaded by Chelsea this summer, just 12 months after he was persuaded to pick the Blues ahead of numerous other top-flight suitors.It's a transfer that just hasn't worked out for either of the parties involved.

And a parting of the ways probably benefits everyone, too.In fairness to Delap, he is far from the only Chelsea signing of the Blue Co era to have been scrutinised. But he will be a very capable, and shrewd, deputy to Chelsea's first-choice No 9 in Pedro.

It's hard to see how he fits in with him, Pedro and Strasbourg's Emmanuel Emegha all vying for minutes this season.Delap feels like the odd man out. Perhaps his selection here emphasised that; it wouldn't be a complete shock if he or the two other players with senior appearances he started with, Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong were not involved in Alonso's immediate first-team plans, though the latter surely would not be offloaded permanently as he surely has a future at Stamford Bridge.For Delap, the writing was already on the wall.