Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have reportedly reached an agreement over the permanent transfer of Liam Delap, with the striker expected to undergo a medical in the next 24 hours.
The fee is said to be around £45m, which would constitute a new club record for Forest and give Chelsea a tidy £15m profit on the £30m paid to sign Delap from Ipswich Town just last summer.
Delap’s time at Stamford Bridge certainly did not unfold as expected. The 23-year-old arrived after scoring 12 Premier League goals for relegated Ipswich, but managed just one league goal in 28 Premier League appearances for us.
He had already been left out of Xabi Alonso’s plans at the start of the new campaign, training away from the first-team group and losing the No.9 backup spot to thin air. A departure therefore appeared increasingly inevitable, although a permanent transfer at this price would still represent an excellent piece of business for the Blues.
Forest, meanwhile, are making a substantial investment in a player whose physicality and direct running should suit the Premier League; and who still has plenty of time to rediscover the form that initially convinced Chelsea to sign him.
From our perspective, turning a struggling £30m signing into a £45m sale just twelve months later is difficult to complain about. It is another remarkably short Chelsea career in the BlueCo era, but also an offer that the club simply could not sensibly reject.
Assuming no issues arise during the medical, official confirmation should now follow shortly.
Carefree.
