Nottingham Forest Agree £50m Deal for Chelsea Striker Liam Delap

Nottingham Forest have agreed a deal worth up to £50 million to sign striker Liam Delap from Chelsea, according to The Guardian. The proposed package consists of a club-record £45 million fee plus £5 million in potential add-ons for the 23-year-old, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Ipswich Town last summer.

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Delap joined Chelsea for £30 million but endured a difficult first season, scoring once in the league and having his campaign disrupted by injuries. Forest were among several clubs interested in the former Manchester City forward, and manager Oliver Glasner identified him as an important target. The move would give Delap an opportunity to establish himself at the City Ground after limited success in London.

Chelsea’s attacking plans have also shaped the proposed transfer. The Guardian reported that head coach Xabi Alonso has preferred João Pedro and Danny Welbeck as his leading striker options this season, leaving Delap and other forwards seeking more regular football. Chelsea are prioritising player departures before the transfer window closes next Tuesday.

The club has also opened talks with Aston Villa over Nicolas Jackson. Chelsea value the Senegal international at £65 million and do not want another loan after he spent last season at Bayern Munich. Villa are considering Jackson as a possible replacement for Ollie Watkins, who is expected to join Al-Hilal, but may seek a payment schedule that makes a permanent transfer affordable.

Jackson, 25, joined Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 and previously worked with Villa manager Unai Emery at the Spanish club. Atlético Madrid are also reported to be interested. No agreement for Jackson has been announced, and the discussions with Villa remain separate from Forest’s deal for Delap.

The same report said West Ham and Brentford are discussing a transfer for left-back El Hadji Malick Diouf, with an agreement considered likely. Brentford could pay about £35 million for the Senegal international, who wants to leave West Ham following the club’s relegation. Unlike Delap’s agreed transfer package, that negotiation had not yet produced a completed deal at the time of the report.