Nottingham Forest have pushed hard to strengthen their forward line by bringing in Liam Delap on a deal running until June 2031. The package is worth around £50m including add-ons, with the guaranteed fee understood to be lower.
- Delap has completed a move from Chelsea to Nottingham Forest on a contract until June 2031.
- The deal is worth around £50m, with the total fee potentially rising to that figure through add-ons.
- Forest are adding him as another option up front alongside Chris Wood and Igor Jesus.
Liam Delap’s Move to Nottingham Forest
Liam Delap arrives at Nottingham Forest as one of the biggest attacking investments the club have made. The move underlines how strongly Forest are backing the striker to lead their forward line.
A Fresh Opportunity After Chelsea
Delap heads to the City Ground after a difficult final Premier League season at Chelsea, where he made 28 league appearances and scored once in 2025/26. Shoulder and hamstring injuries disrupted that campaign, and Chelsea made him available for transfer, giving him a clear reset.
Delap had shown much more in the previous Premier League season, scoring 12 goals in 37 matches in 2024/25. Forest are clearly backing him to reach those heights again rather than judging him only on a stop-start year in west London.
Forest’s Plans for Delap and Their Attack
Forest’s squad situation makes the move easy to understand. Delap comes in to add competition up front alongside Chris Wood and Igor Jesus, while Taiwo Awoniyi’s £9m move to Coventry has created room for another senior striker in the group.
He should be viewed as an option, not an automatic starter from day one. Oliver Glasner’s use of a big striker with support around him could suit Delap if he gets regular football, stays fit and finds his rhythm quickly. Forest get more depth and a different presence in attack, while Delap gets a fresh platform to rediscover the scoring form that made him such an attractive long-term prospect in the first place.
