Nottingham Forest are closing in on a deal to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea.
Forest are leading a competitive race to sign the out-of-favour forward, who has been told he is free to leave Chelsea this summer.
Delap signed for the West Londoners from Ipswich Town for a fee of £30m last summer but scored just twice in 41 appearances last season.
He has been training away from the first-team squad, as part of a group looking to secure exits before next week’s transfer deadline. His number nine shirt at Chelsea has been reallocated to Joao Pedro for the 2026/27 season. Chelsea are determined to reduce a bloated squad and currently have 39 senior players on the books.
Chelsea value Delap at £50m according to Sky Sports, a fee Forest look unlikely to match. A loan move with a purchase option could be agreed with the 23-year-old open to a switch to the City Ground.
Several Premier League sides have considered Delap this summer, most notably Everton, while Fulham have also been named as potential suitors.
Nottingham Forest see Delap as a potential long-term successor to Chris Wood, with the forward targeted to provide competition for the New Zealand international and Igor Jesus.
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