Nottingham Forest has reached an agreement with Chelsea for the transfer of striker Liam Delap, with the fee reported to be around £50 million. The 23-year-old is expected to complete his medical and finalize a long-term contract at the City Ground within the week.
Delap's impending move comes one year after he joined Chelsea from Ipswich Town for a fee of £30 million, a transfer that saw competition from Manchester United and Everton. Chelsea has made Delap available for sale this summer after he scored only one Premier League goal during a season hampered by shoulder and hamstring injuries.
Forest has been active in the transfer market this summer, having already secured defender Ousmane Diomande from Sporting for £34 million. The club also added free agents Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager and goalkeeper Steve Benda to their squad. Concurrently, Forest sold England midfielder Elliot Anderson to Manchester City for a club-record £116 million and striker Taiwo Awoniyi to Coventry City for £9 million.
Delap's arrival is anticipated to increase competition for forward positions currently held by Chris Wood and Igor Jesus. Chelsea has also bolstered their attacking options this summer, signing Emmanuel Emegha from Strasbourg and Danny Welbeck from Brighton.