Nottingham Forest Agree Club-Record £45m Deal for Chelsea’s Liam Delap
Nottingham Forest have agreed a club-record deal to sign striker Liam Delap from Chelsea, bringing an early end to his difficult debut season at Stamford Bridge just one year after his arrival from Ipswich Town.
According to reports, the initial fee is set to be around £45 million, with add-ons potentially pushing the total closer to £50 million, a new club-record signing for Forest. The move eclipses the £37.5 million Forest paid to sign Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town last summer. The 23-year-old is scheduled to undergo a medical in the coming hours, with the switch to the City Ground expected to be finalised shortly afterward.
Delap’s time at Chelsea did not go as either party had hoped. Having joined from relegated Ipswich Town for around £30 million last summer, on the back of a strong 12-goal Premier League campaign, he managed just one league goal in his time at Stamford Bridge and struggled to establish himself as a regular starter under head coach Xabi Alonso. With Joao Pedro established as Chelsea’s first-choice striker, alongside summer arrivals Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha ahead of him in the pecking order, Delap found himself increasingly frozen out of first-team plans, training away from the main group in the early weeks of the new season. The transfer is expected to represent a solid profit for Chelsea on their initial outlay for the player.
Delap is understood to have attracted interest from several other Premier League clubs, including Everton, before ultimately opting for a move to Nottingham Forest under head coach Oliver Glasner. Speaking about the move, former Tottenham and Aston Villa striker Robbie Keane suggested Delap could thrive at the City Ground provided he receives the regular game time and managerial backing that eluded him at Chelsea, pointing to how Glasner had previously gotten the best out of a similar profile of striker at Crystal Palace. Keane also praised Delap’s aggression and attributes, arguing that his struggles at Chelsea reflected more on his lack of opportunities there than on his underlying quality.
The move forms part of a broader reshuffle of Chelsea’s forward line before next week’s transfer deadline, with the club also continuing discussions to move on other fringe attacking players, including Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, with Aston Villa and Napoli respectively reported to be interested in the pair. Chelsea have separately been strengthening their squad elsewhere, agreeing a permanent deal, including a buy-back option, for Strasbourg’s Omari Kellyman following a loan spell at Cardiff City.
For Nottingham Forest, the signing represents a significant statement of intent as the club looks to bolster its attacking options following the opening weeks of the new Premier League season, with Delap set to provide competition and support up front as Glasner continues shaping his squad at the City Ground.
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