By OkayGoal
Everton’s pursuit of Liam Delap has hit a bump in the road, with Nottingham Forest now stepping up their own effort to land the Chelsea striker before next Tuesday’s 11pm transfer deadline.
Everton face Nottingham competition
The Toffees have been chasing a deal for the 23-year-old for some time now, though any move would not come cheap. Reports suggest Chelsea want as much as £50million, despite paying only £30million for Delap from Ipswich last summer and getting precious little back for their outlay so far.
Forest, stung by their opening day defeat to Leeds, are now readying a fresh approach, and unlike Everton it sounds as though Oliver Glasner’s side are exploring the loan route rather than committing to an outright fee. Delap was left out of Chelsea’s squad entirely for Monday night’s 3-2 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, a fair sign that his time at Stamford Bridge may already be drawing to a close.
🚨🌳 Nottingham Forest will be in direct contact with Chelsea to try close Liam Delap deal after the game.#NFFC in direct talks with Delap’s camp and Chelsea while negotiations are ongoing, as Talksport reported. Deal on. pic.twitter.com/au6UquBeKv
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 24, 2026
It was only last Thursday that talkSPORT reported Forest had moved ahead of Everton in the race for Delap, so this latest twist will hardly come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the saga closely. Still, there is a route back in for Moyes’ side. If Chelsea decide against sanctioning a loan, that could push Forest away from the table and open the door for Everton, who are believed to still have funds available after a quiet window by their own recent standards.
Beto exit can aid Everton Liam Delap transfer
Thierno Barry’s goal against Crystal Palace was a welcome sight, but nobody at Everton is under any illusion that one senior forward is enough to sustain a season, particularly with Beto’s long term future looking increasingly uncertain.
Beto has never quite hit the heights many hoped for since arriving on Merseyside three years ago, and Fiorentina are now said to be circling, with the Italian side also keeping tabs on Delap as an alternative option. Interestingly, Fiorentina are hoping to fund any move by cashing in on a forward of their own, raising around £34million to help finance a swoop for Beto.
Should Beto depart for anywhere north of £20million, that fee could go a long way towards finally getting a deal for Delap over the line before the window shuts for good.