Everton are reported to be ahead of Leeds and Newcastle for Liam Delap, with Chelsea prepared to sell if they can make a profit on last summer’s £30 million deal. The striker’s first season at Stamford Bridge has not given them much reason to resist a move, and the latest noise is about an exit rather than a reset.

Chelsea’s £30 million gamble

Chelsea paid £30 million to sign Delap from Ipswich last summer. He scored just once in 28 Premier League appearances for Chelsea, with only 12 of those starts.

Those totals do not tell the entire story, because different sources have quoted different season numbers across competitions. The league line is the clearest one to anchor to, and it still points to a striker who has not forced his way into the side. His recent Chelsea rating sits at 6.2, while one of his last 10 outings lasted only 18 minutes. Across those last 10 appearances, he has started only two times.

Everton’s interest and Chelsea’s next move

The move being discussed is not a loan-style holding pattern. Everton are said to want the chance to offer Delap a bigger role, and Chelsea are also expected to explore the striker market this summer despite the improving tallies of Beto and Thierno Barry.

There is still a strand of public confidence from inside the club. Xabi Alonso said: "Every player that is involved is doing well, Liam as well. It was 60 minutes when he had to battle hard against the centre-backs, a good few lays off, so he's doing well and preparing for the season." He also said: "I see him in a good mood, in a good desire to get proper fitness, proper football feeling good, and he's doing well."

That does not stop the transfer picture from drifting in one direction. Delap played 60 minutes before being replaced by Joao Pedro, who scored a hat-trick, and Chelsea’s stance now looks tied to whether they can turn last summer’s investment into a profit. The Premier League record for Delap at Chelsea is thin enough to keep the door open, and Everton are the club reported to be standing nearest it.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →