Liam Delap: Everton's Long-Standing Transfer Target
Liam Delap just will not leave Everton alone.
His name has circled Goodison for years, an obsession that began under David Moyes, who never tried to hide how much he admired the striker. When Ipswich went down two seasons ago, Everton moved. They wanted Delap then. They still want him now.
Now the story has a new twist. Xabi Alonso is in at Chelsea, and the door at Stamford Bridge may be creaking open again.
Everton’s long chase, same problem up front
Everton are about to start another Premier League season leaning heavily on Thierno Barry and Beto. There were flashes last year, brief spells where both looked like they might finally click. But when the pressure rose, the goals didn’t follow often enough.
That’s why Delap’s name keeps coming back. It refuses to disappear from the recruitment meetings, from the rumour mill, from the back pages on Merseyside.
And right now, all the signs suggest he is heading for the exit somewhere.
Delap wants Premier League stay
According to The Chronicle’s print edition, Como’s interest has stalled. The Italian club had been keen, but the report states Delap wants to stay in the Premier League.
That stance has dragged Everton right back into the frame. The newspaper reports that his desire to remain in England has put the Toffees on “red alert” as the deadline looms.
Chelsea, though, are not in the mood to give him away. Stamford Bridge officials still want a hefty profit, and any permanent deal is being talked about at up to £40 million.
For a striker with just one Premier League goal, that is a brutal figure in today’s market. It’s the kind of price that makes clubs pause, even those as desperate for goals as Everton or Newcastle.
Loan lifeline as deadline creeps closer
But deadlines change everything.
As 1 September draws nearer, Chelsea’s stance could soften. If Alonso and the hierarchy decide Delap has no place in their plans, a different route opens up.
The Chronicle suggests Everton could look at a loan move, potentially with an option or even an obligation to buy built in. That sort of structure would suit the Toffees perfectly: immediate help up front without committing £40 million on day one.
It would also allow Chelsea to keep control of the asset while still edging towards the profit they want.
For Everton, it’s attractive. Barry and Beto are expected to stay, and the club haven’t exactly shoved either of them towards the exit. But they also haven’t convinced anyone they can carry the scoring burden alone.
Adding Delap would give Sean Dyche another body, more competition, another profile in the box. Depth, at last.
A powerful trio – with one big question
There is a catch.
Delap, Barry and Beto all share similar traits. They are strong, physical, dominant in duels. None of them is a pure burner who lives on runs in behind. Three powerful No 9s, one penalty area.
That raises a tactical question as much as a financial one. Can Everton really carry all three and still stretch teams? Or does Delap’s arrival force a rethink of how they play, and who they trust?
For now, Everton wait. Chelsea wait. Delap waits.
The Premier League season kicks off in three days. If this move is going to happen, it will happen in the white heat of the final weeks of the window, with the clock ticking and the pressure rising.
Everton have chased Liam Delap for years. They may never have a clearer shot than this.
