Nottingham Forest are closing in on the signing of Chelsea forward Liam Delap, with the two clubs agreeing a deal reported to be worth up to £50 million, including add-ons.
According to reports, Forest will pay an initial £45 million for the 23-year-old, with a further £5 million in performance-related bonuses to follow. The move represents the latest departure from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea continue to reshape their squad following a busy period of incoming and outgoing transfer activity.
Chelsea had been clear from the outset that they wanted to sell Delap outright rather than consider a loan arrangement, even though the striker endured a difficult first season in west London. His switch to Forest will still see Chelsea post a healthy profit on their initial investment, having signed him from Ipswich Town last year.
Delap arrived at Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2025 Club World Cup, with Chelsea fending off competition from Manchester United and Everton to secure his signature. The Blues activated his £30 million release clause, which was triggered following Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League. The move was seen at the time as a coup for Chelsea, given the interest from other top-flight clubs in the promising young forward.
However, life in London proved challenging for the former England youth international. Injury setbacks combined with the impressive form of fellow summer signing Joao Pedro limited Delap's opportunities to establish himself as a regular starter in either the Premier League or the Champions League. Across all competitions last season, Delap made 47 appearances for Chelsea but managed only three goals and five assists, a modest return that reflected his struggles to break into the side consistently.
The striker's path back into Chelsea's first-team plans was further complicated by the club's decision to bring in Emmanuel Emegha this summer. The signing of the highly-rated forward added further competition to Chelsea's attacking options, making regular first-team football even harder to come by for Delap heading into the 2026/27 campaign.
With his opportunities increasingly limited, a move away appeared the most sensible option for both player and club, and Forest have moved swiftly to secure his services. The switch to the City Ground offers Delap the chance to rebuild his career with regular football, something that eluded him during his time at Chelsea.
Delap's expected departure is not thought to be an isolated case at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are reportedly also expecting to part ways with Marc Guiu and Nicolas Jackson before the transfer window closes, as the club continues to trim its squad and generate funds for further reinforcements.
The ongoing turnover of attacking players underlines the intense competition for places within Chelsea's forward line, with manager Enzo Maresca overseeing a squad that boasts significant strength in depth following successive transfer windows of heavy investment.
For Forest, the signing of Delap represents a statement of intent as they look to build on recent progress and strengthen their attacking options. Should the deal be finalised as expected, it will mark one of the more significant transfers of the summer window involving a Premier League striker moving between two English clubs.
Based on reporting from Standard Sport.