Nottingham Forest have agreed a club-record deal worth around £50 million to sign Chelsea striker Liam Delap as they strengthen their attacking options.
The 23-year-old is expected to undergo a medical before completing a long-term move to the City Ground this week. His arrival would give Forest another option up front alongside Chris Wood and Igor Jesus.
Delap is set to leave Chelsea only a year after joining the club from Ipswich Town for £30m. Manchester United and Everton had also been interested in the striker at the time.
His spell at Chelsea was disrupted by shoulder and hamstring injuries, limiting his impact. He scored only once in the Premier League during the previous campaign, and Chelsea made him available for transfer this summer.
Forest have been active in the market following several major departures. Defender Ousmane Diomande has joined from Sporting for £34m, while Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager and goalkeeper Steve Benda have arrived as free agents.
The club also received a significant financial boost after selling England midfielder Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for a club-record £116m. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi moved to Coventry City for £9m.
Delap’s expected arrival comes after Forest began their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 home defeat against Leeds. Neither Wood nor Jesus was able to score in that match.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have added Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg and Danny Welbeck from Brighton to their attacking options this summer.
Delap began his career in Derby County’s youth system before moving to Manchester City in 2019. He helped City win the FA Youth Cup in 2019-20 and then scored 24 goals in 20 Premier League 2 appearances as the club won the title the following season.
He scored on his senior City debut against Bournemouth in the League Cup in September 2020 and made his Premier League debut three days later against Leicester.
With first-team opportunities limited partly by injuries, Delap later had Championship loan spells with Stoke, Preston North End and Hull City between 2022 and 2024.
