Liam Delap backed to 'thrive' as Nottingham Forest move close
Nottingham Forest are closing in on signing Chelsea striker Liam Delap as he finally looks set for a move away from Stamford Bridge.
The 23-year-old has been widely expected to move on this summer, as he is not part of Xabi Alonso's plans, with Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck ahead in the pecking order.
His availability had placed a number of Premier League clubs on high alert, but Nottingham Forest now look set to win the race for his signature after talks with the Blues.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Chelsea were always the wrong club for Delap, but he has all the attributes to thrive in the Premier League.
The striker showed during his time with Ipswich Town that he can score goals, run in behind, and cause trouble for defenders with his physicality.
Oliver Glasner is keen to add all of those attributes to his squad amid concerns about Nottingham Forest's current strikers, with Delap now closing in on a move.
Why are Chelsea looking to sell Liam Delap?
Football Insider revealed on 21 August that Delap has been offered to mutliple clubs in the Premier League, with Aston Villa among those contacted over a move.
Forest have now moved ahead of their rivals in their pursuit, and with Chelsea keen to sell before the 1 September deadline, talks over the deal are now accelerating.
Delap is being backed to succeed at his next club, and after seeing the work Glasner has done with strikers in the past, a move to the City Ground could be ideal.
"Liam Delap has shown already he can be a very useful striker in the Premier League," Brown told Football Insider.
"Look at his time at Ipswich, he was bullying defenders, running in behind, taking people on, scoring plenty of goals, and that was in a side that eventually got relegated.
"The move to Chelsea was never the right one, I thought it was strange to begin with and he had better options on the table at the time.
"But he decided to make that move and things haven't worked out, that doesn't mean he's a bad player by any means, so he will be a success wherever he ends up.
"That's why there are so many clubs interested, because they know what he can do and they will believe they can get the best out of him.
"If it ends up being Nottingham Forest, then I would expect him to thrive there, where he will have more support, patience, and freedom to do the things he is good at."
Which other clubs were keen on signing Delap?
Nottingham Forest's move for Delap has come amid suggestions that a number of Premier League rivals have been lining up offers in the window's closing stages.
Football Insider revealed on 1 August that Leeds United had made contact over a move for Delap, but were put off by Chelsea's lofty asking price for the striker.
Alonso's side are believed to be demanding a fee between £40million and £50million, with Forest now closing in on an agreement that will likely meet that valuation.
Leeds and his other suitors had been deterred by the finances involved, leaving Forest with a clear run at the striker, and the move is now expected to go through.