Nottingham Forest Negotiates Loan for Liam Delap from Chelsea
Nottingham Forest have opened talks with Chelsea over a deal for Liam Delap as Oliver Glasner pushes hard for more cutting edge before the transfer window shuts, according to the Daily Mail.
Forest are understood to be working on an initial loan with an option to buy next summer, a structure that would limit their short-term risk while giving them first refusal if Delap finally catches fire in the Premier League. Glasner’s urgency is easy to explain: a tight 1-0 defeat to Leeds United at the weekend laid bare Forest’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal.
Delap stuck at a crossroads at Chelsea
For Delap, the timing feels critical. His Chelsea career has stalled badly.
He arrived from Ipswich Town with momentum behind him after an impressive spell at Portman Road, but the step up to Stamford Bridge has bitten hard. Expectations were high; the return was meagre. Just one league goal in his debut season, and not nearly enough influence to convince the hierarchy he should be central to their plans.
His omission from Chelsea’s recent Premier League win over Fulham underlined the reality. While others pressed their claims, Delap watched on, his future effectively pushed towards the exit door as the club signalled a readiness to listen to offers.
The slide became even more visible when Joao Pedro was handed the No.9 shirt ahead of the new campaign. Symbolic, but brutal. Pedro, rewarded for a standout debut season, was elevated. Delap, shuffled back to No.12, was nudged further towards the margins.
With Nicolas Jackson and summer signing Marc Guiu already ahead of him in the pecking order, the route to regular minutes under Alonso looks almost completely blocked for the former Manchester City academy striker.
Forest lead the chase – but not alone
Forest may be at the front of the queue, but they are not queueing alone.
Several Premier League clubs have tracked Delap’s situation throughout the window. Ipswich Town, where he previously flourished, have explored the possibility of bringing him back. Everton, too, are hovering, prepared to move if permanent bids from elsewhere fail to materialise and a loan becomes Chelsea’s most realistic option.
Delap, under contract at Chelsea for another five years, is one of a cluster of forwards the club are prepared to move on as they trim a bloated squad. The overhaul under Alonso has been sweeping: shirt numbers reshuffled, established names made available, and a clear message sent that sentiment will not stand in the way of squad surgery.
The striker is understood to favour staying in the Premier League rather than heading abroad. Como, led by Cesc Fabregas, showed interest in taking him to Serie A, but Delap’s focus remains on proving himself in England. That stance only strengthens the hand of Forest and their domestic rivals.
Glasner’s rebuild gathers pace
At the City Ground, Delap is just one piece in a wider reconstruction.
Forest have already made a statement at the back, landing defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP in a £36 million deal. They have also moved smartly in the free-agent market, adding midfielder Xaver Schlager and goalkeeper Steve Benda to deepen the squad.
Those signings have been underpinned by a huge outgoing: the £116 million sale of Elliot Anderson to Manchester City. That windfall has given Forest the financial power to chase targets such as Delap without losing balance elsewhere in the squad.
The recruitment drive does not stop with a centre-forward. Forest are also monitoring Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy, another player attracting attention from Everton. The pattern is clear: Glasner wants players with proven Premier League experience or high upside who can slot in quickly and raise the level.
For Delap, the question is simple but stark. Stay and fight for scraps at Chelsea, or take the gamble on a move where the pressure is real, the minutes are there to be claimed, and the excuses run out?
Forest are ready to give him that stage. Now the striker has to decide where he wants his career to actually start.
