Chelsea keep getting away with this. Just a year after purchasing Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, the young striker is on the way to Nottingham Forest following a £45 million move from Chelsea. It’s a package that can reach £50 million with add-ons, but it’s also one that represents a £15 million minimum profit for Chelsea no matter what happens here.Say what you want about Chelsea’s spending, but there are few clubs in the world who are as good as the Blues at moving players on for a profit, even if they don’t succeed at the club. This follows a similar move, somehow making a profit on the failed signing of Alejandro Garnacho, which is just one example of many.Now, Forest will hope that they’re purchasing Ipswich version Delap instead of the one who couldn’t cut it at Chelsea last season. While the Tricky Trees have money to spend, they’re taking quite a risk in hoping that they can pull that out while already having Igor Jesus and Chris Wood in the squad, but it’s the kind of risk that you opt to take when Oliver Glasner determines that he wants a specific player.At Crystal Palace, Jean-Philippe Mateta only had one season of top-flight soccer where he scored double-digit goals before ripping off three consecutive seasons with 12 or more Premier League goals and earning a spot in the French national team under Glasner. However, he also didn’t cost nearly as much for Palace to secure from Germany compared to what is being invested into Delap after he scored one goal in 28 Premier League appearances last season.
If there’s a reason for confidence, it’s that Delap’s per-90 stats were eerily similar for Chelsea as they were for Ipswich.Liam Delap per 90 statsSeasonTeamGoalsxGShotsxA2024-25Ipswich.40.312.24.072025-26Chelsea.07.312.51.02Nottingham ForestIgor Jesus showed potential last season, filling in for Chris Wood in the Premier League, and with Wood being 34, it makes sense as to why another forward is needed with Taiwo Awoniyi moving to Coventry City, but there is a lot of projection here that Delap will be worth the money. On the one hand, money is fake, but on the other, expectations at Forest are sky-high, and those same expectations have seen the Tricky Trees go through five managers since the beginning of last season.This isn’t a club that will put up with not winning games, and even after Glasner led Palace to trophies in back-to-back seasons, he’ll now have to wrangle together a squad that has seen plenty of change. And now a reclamation project is being added to that.
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Based on the underlying numbers, there’s still a player in there somewhere, but given the lack of creativity from Delap despite how much he likes to dribble, if the scoring doesn’t return, Delap is a one-dimensional striker. He can deal with the physicality of the Premier League and will press to try and help the defense, but the risk is still high. It’s a move where the Englishman will need to get an early goal in order to gain confidence, or this could spiral fast. Grade: DChelseaJoao Pedro is the outright striker for the Blues, and while selling Delap may leave them light at striker since Xabi Alonso’s side doesn’t have European soccer to contend with, it’s easier to focus on their core of Joao Pedro, Morgan Rodgers, and Cole Palmer. Guys like Pedro Neto can fit in at the nine when needed, and when Chelsea decides that they want to add someone else to the squad, the space will also be there.Considering the fee that they’re getting from Forest, it’s just the newest expensive outgoing from the club alongside Andrey Santos, Marc Cucurella, and Trevoh Chalobah. While Chelsea have spent plenty of money, being able to get fees for players that they don’t see a future for in the squad has also been an impressive part of their business, and this is yet another one. Grade: ALiam DelapNo matter where Delap went, it was going to be a risk because two moves where he struggles back-to-back could lead to him going back to the Championship. Going to a club with a good coach and where he has an opportunity for first-team soccer is as good as it could get at this stage, and it makes sense to get out of Chelsea and secure a fresh start. For the player, this is a solid move, but it’s one where he’ll need to show what he can do quickly. Grade: B
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