Forest bring in Delap for club-record fee

Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.

Liam Delap has joined Nottingham Forest from Chelsea in a club-record deal worth up to a reported £50m.

The 23-year-old has signed a five-year contract with Forest through to June 2031, in a transfer supposedly made up of a fixed £45m fee with a potential £5m in add-ons, just one year after he joined the Blues.

Chelsea signed Delap last June from Ipswich Town, following the Tractor Boys’ relegation from the Premier League, for around £30m.

While he scored 12 goals in the top-flight for Ipswich, last term Delap managed just one goal for Chelsea in the competition, netting three goals overall.

He made 47 appearances in all competitions – and was part of their Club World Cup-winning side.

“I really can’t wait to get started; this is a massive club with a big history,” he told the club’s website.

“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.

Wearing the famous Garibaldi. pic.twitter.com/eJH0RrfxH9

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 27, 2026

“I can’t wait to hear the noise at the City Ground and have the fans on my side because I know how loud and important they are.

“As a team, we can build something really strong, and the main aim is to challenge and be a top club in the Premier League.”

Forest’s previous club-record signing was Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich in August last year, after he was brought in for £37.5m.

Delap had also been the subject of interest from Everton, but he is now looking to get regular minutes at Forest after making just 12 Premier League starts for Chelsea in 2025-26 and playing 1,102 minutes.

His sole top-flight goal was a vast underperformance of his 4.5 expected goals (xG), while he finished the campaign with a 2.8% shot conversion rate.

Forest began their Premier League season with a loss to Leeds United, but they are looking to get back on track against Liverpool on Saturday.

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