Everton are currently best placed to sign Liam Delap, after talks with Chelsea and a reported £40million asking price put the deal in motion. Delap is said to prefer staying in the Premier League and a return to the North of England, which gives Everton a clearer route than some of the other clubs in the mix.

Chelsea's asking price and Delap's preference

The price is the first hurdle. Chelsea have set a £40million asking price for Delap, and there is also reporting elsewhere that pushes that figure higher, into the £50million range. Everton have already held talks with Chelsea, so the interest is concrete enough, but the fee still decides how far this goes.

Delap's preference points in one direction. He is said to want a Premier League move, with a return to the North of England also appealing. That leaves Everton in the picture, while other clubs such as Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United sit around the conversation. Como have shown interest too, although one report says they are looking at a loan move.

Delap's first year at Chelsea

The Chelsea move has not delivered much on paper. Delap made 47 appearances for Chelsea, scored 3 goals and provided 5 assists, while also logging 1,907 minutes. He was left out of Chelsea's final pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad, which only adds to the sense that he is not central to the attacking plans.

Xabi Alonso, Chelsea head coach, said: "Yes, Nico is a great player. He's a threat to play against any defence, so we want to have players that can compete, and Nico for sure is one of them. We need to go day by day checking options, but we are happy that Nico is with us."

Chelsea sources also told teamtalk.com: "We fully expect Delap to have left Stamford Bridge by the end of August."

That leaves Everton with the clearest opening, but only if they can reach Chelsea's valuation and keep Delap interested in staying in England. The market is moving, and the striker's next step is still unresolved on 16 August.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →