Nottingham Forest set to sign £45m Premier League attacker

Nottingham Forest set to sign £45m Premier League attacker Liam Delap to Nottingham Forest: Record £45m Transfer Shows Forest Mean Business Nottingham Forest appear ready to make another major statement in the market, with The Athletic reporting that Liam Delap is closing in on a club-record move to the City Ground. The proposed fee, worth at least £45m and potentially rising to £50m with add-ons, underlines how aggressively Forest are moving to reshape their squad ahead of the new campaign. For a club that has already broken its transfer record once this month with the arrival of Ousmane Diomande, this latest deal would reinforce a clear message. Forest are not shopping for depth pieces, they are targeting players expected to change the level of the side. Delap, still only 23, is expected to sign a five-year contract and undergo a medical on Wednesday if the final stages proceed smoothly. His exit from Chelsea has looked increasingly likely, particularly after he trained away from the main first-team group and missed the 3-2 win over Fulham on Monday. Those details often point to a transfer in motion, and that now seems to be the case. Photo IMAGO Record deal reflects Nottingham Forest ambition There is obvious risk in paying such a significant fee for a striker coming off an injury-hit season. Delap managed only one Premier League goal for Chelsea, with 12 starts and 16 substitute appearances producing little sustained momentum. Yet Forest are clearly buying into the broader profile rather than judging him solely on a difficult year at Stamford Bridge. This is a player who had already shown his ability in the Premier League with Ipswich, scoring 12 league goals and earning recognition as one of the division’s most promising young forwards. Forest’s recruitment team have tracked him for some time, and this does not feel like a sudden opportunistic move. It looks like a long-term target finally becoming attainable. The timing also makes sense. Taiwo Awoniyi has left for Coventry City, creating space for another centre-forward to enter the picture. Chris Wood remains trusted and Igor Jesus has done his chances no harm in pre-season, but Forest clearly want a different kind of attacking option as well. Liam Delap fits Oliver Glasner system From a tactical perspective, the attraction is easy to understand. In Oliver Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 system, the central striker has to do much more than finish chances. The role demands presence, pressing, direct running and the ability to create room for the two supporting attackers operating behind. Delap seems tailored to that brief. He is aggressive in his movement, capable of driving into space and strong enough to trouble defenders physically. Forest have lacked that sort of relentless, front-footed profile in certain matches, particularly when they have needed to pin teams back or stretch the back line more quickly. There is also a developmental angle. Delap is not arriving as a finished article, which may actually suit Forest. They are paying for what he can become within a structure that should highlight his strengths. If Glasner wants speed, intensity and vertical threat from his striker, Delap ticks each box convincingly. Chelsea exit opens fresh opportunity Chelsea’s willingness to sell says plenty about their own squad planning rather than serving as a decisive verdict on the player. With Joao Pedro moving ahead in the pecking order, Danny Welbeck arriving and other forwards also potentially available for transfer, Delap has found himself squeezed out quickly. The fact that his No 9 shirt has already gone tells its own story. For Forest, that creates an opening. They are taking a player who has had a frustrating year and placing him in an environment where the pathway looks far clearer. That can be a powerful combination if the fit is right. What stands out most is the scale of the commitment. A fee of £45m to £50m, plus a five-year deal, speaks to a club that believes Delap can become central to its attack for years rather than simply offering rotation value. Forest are paying for upside, but they are also paying for suitability. If this move goes through as expected, it will be another significant moment in Forest’s summer. The club are backing Glasner, targeting athletic profiles and investing heavily in players who fit a defined idea. Delap may arrive with questions after his Chelsea spell, but at Nottingham Forest he would also arrive with opportunity, responsibility and the chance to become the focal point of an increasingly ambitious project. Our View From a Forest supporter’s perspective, this is the sort of report that gets the pulse racing. You want to see your club act boldly, and this feels bold in the best possible way. Liam Delap has the profile, the age and the hunger to become a huge player for Forest, and that matters when you are trying to build something with real staying power. What is especially exciting is how clearly this seems to match what Oliver Glasner wants. There is a plan here. Delap is quick, strong, direct and willing to do the ugly side of centre-forward play. Supporters love that sort of striker at the City Ground because the crowd responds to energy and commitment as much as goals. Of course there is pressure with a fee like £45m or £50m, but that comes with ambition. Forest are no longer behaving like a club happy to make up the numbers. Breaking the transfer record again suggests they believe they can push on, and fans will love that message. If Delap settles quickly, the City Ground could be the perfect place for him. He would get backing, noise and a system designed to help him thrive. For Forest fans, this report feels like more than a transfer story, it feels like another sign the club are thinking big. Source: Athletic