The 23-year-old has struggled since joining the club, scoring just three goals in 47 appearances for the Blues.
Of course, many of those appearances have come from the bench as he's played second fiddle to Joao Pedro, but his situation could get even worse this summer.
Xabi Alonso has Nicolas Jackson returning from his loan at Bayern Munich, and Emmanuel Emegha joining permanently from Strasbourg.
Delap could quickly find himself fourth in the pecking order and restricted to even fewer minutes next season unless he's sold, with reports from Turkey linking the Englishman to newly-promoted Hull City.
The Tigers could bring him back to the MKM Stadium either on loan or on a permanent deal, although an official offer is yet to be submitted.
That is perhaps because "Chelsea are not actively looking to sell Delap", according to BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella, with Alonso set to make a final decision on the player's future.
Whatever happens, Delap arguably needs a fresh start at a different club, and Hull could be the perfect destination to boost his confidence.