Nottingham Forest has completed the club-record signing of striker Liam Delap from Chelsea for a fee of £45 million, according to reports from Sky Sports, BBC Sport, and The Independent. The 23-year-old forward has signed a five-year contract at the City Ground, marking his third club in three seasons following a period where manager Xabi Alonso made it clear he did not feature in the plans at Stamford Bridge.
Transfer Details and Financials
According to Sky Sports, the deal sets a new club record for Nottingham Forest at £45 million, though other outlets including BBC Sport cite the total package reaching up to £50m. Chelsea secured a financial profit on the forward, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from Ipswich Town 12 months prior for a fee of £30m, as reported by The Independent. Despite the profit, Delap managed just two goals across all competitions during his single season in West London.
Newly appointed Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner made securing the striker a priority during the ongoing transfer window, according to reporting from The Independent.
Player Reactions and Immediate Prospects
Speaking to club media reported by The Independent, Liam Delap expressed enthusiasm about working under Glasner. “I really can’t wait to get started, this is a massive club with a big history,” Delap said. “I spoke to the manager and I like his way, I think he can be the one to really help me develop and make that next step and hopefully I can bring goals here.”
Delap, whose father is former Stoke City midfielder Rory Delap. joins a Forest squad experiencing a challenging start to the season. The club opened their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Leeds United and followed it with a 2-0 loss to the same opponent in the Carabao Cup, according to The Independent. Glasner intends to integrate the forward immediately, with the player registered in time to potentially make his debut against Liverpool on Saturday.
Worth a look