Chelsea have set Liam Delap's price at £50m after only one season at Stamford Bridge. The move comes a year after they activated his £30m release clause to sign him from Ipswich Town, and Delap's debut campaign produced just two goals in all competitions.
Chelsea's change of stance
The valuation is a sharp shift for a player Chelsea only brought in last summer. Delap made 47 appearances in all competitions, but the return was thin enough for the club to be open to cashing in if a buyer meets the asking price.
There is still a split in the reporting around his exact output, with some outlets putting him on two goals and others on three, but the broader picture is the same: Chelsea did not get the attacking return they wanted. Football-Italia also reported the original move as a €35m release clause activation, which they translated as about £30m.
The clubs watching Delap
The interest is not hard to explain. Como, Everton and Nottingham Forest are all named as clubs who have looked at a move, and Bryan King thinks Everton can still be the right landing spot for a striker trying to reset his career. Speaking to goal.com, the former Everton scout said Delap "went on loan and really made his name up at Everton".
Como arrive with four wins and a draw in their last five league matches, while Everton's recent run has been less convincing and Forest have had mixed results too. Those different situations all leave room for a deal if Chelsea stay firm on £50m and one of the interested clubs decides Delap is worth the gamble.
Chelsea do not appear to be in any hurry to block a sale, but no transfer has been confirmed. The key figure remains the asking price, and Chelsea will expect serious bids if Delap is to leave before the window closes.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
