Chelsea striker Liam Delap has emerged as a transfer target for several clubs this summer, with Nottingham Forest the latest side to have joined the race for his signature.
The former England U21 international arrived at Stamford Bridge in June 2025 for a reported £30million, putting pen-to-paper on a six-year deal, but he looks set for a quick exit.
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has brought in 11 new players this summer, including strikers Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha, attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers and forward Geovany Quenda.
It has left the Blues heavy on numbers and a host of players are expected to depart before the transfer window closes, including Pedro Neto, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk.
While keen to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place, Delap is also realistic about how many starting opportunities he will get and a move would suit both parties.
Nottingham Forest
The latest club to have joined the race for Delap is believed to be Nottingham Forest, who are eager to bolster their attacking options following the sale of Taiwo Awoniyi to Coventry City.
Igor Jesus and Chris Wood are the two leading striker options for head coach Oliver Glasner, who is said to be a big admirer of former Ipswich ace Delap.
Chelsea are reportedly asking for £40m to allow the 23-year-old to leave for pastures new, which would result in a quickfire £10m profit.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United failed in their attempts to lure Delap to St James' Park last summer, but they still hold an interest in the striker and could be tempted to move back in for him.
Head coach Matthias Jaissle's first priority is to sign an experienced midfielder, following the departures of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, but the Magpies are also looking to add in attack.
Delap's relentless pressing would make him a good fit for Jaissle's style of play and a switch to Tyneside may be of interest to the Chelsea striker.
Everton
Everton have been crying out for a striker for several seasons and it is claimed they could make an offer for Delap before the transfer window closes.
It has been a frustrating summer for the Toffees, but the mood would be lifted if they were able to strike a deal for the Chelsea striker.
Whether Everton are willing to offer £40m remains the big question, although they could instead look to try and take Delap on loan with a buy clause included in the deal.
Aston Villa
With Ollie Watkins in talks over a move to Al Hilal, Aston Villa will need to bring in a replacement should he depart and Delap is believed to be on their list of targets.
Tammy Abraham is the only out-and-out striker at Villa boss Unai Emery's disposal and he struggled on his return to Villa Park in January, scoring twice in 12 appearances.
Delap is viewed as a good replacement for Watkins and the Villans would come out of both deals with a profit, with the £40m required to land the Chelsea striker less than what Al Hilal will have to pay to sign Watkins.
Como
Serie A outfit Como have been keeping tabs on Delap's situation and they were reportedly considering lodging an offer earlier in the transfer window.
However, if Delap does leave Stamford Bridge, he is understood to favour remaining in the Premier League and that has dramatically reduced Como's hopes of striking a deal.
Como have turned their attention to Fiorentina's Moise Kean and have seen an opening offer, which was an initial loan with an obligation to buy in a deal worth around £25.6m, rejected.
Delap is still said to be a target and it is thought Como could still put in a season-long loan offer, with the option to make the move permanent at the end of the temporary spell.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
