Chelsea's Liam Delap Linked to Como Amid Transfer Buzz

Chelsea’s summer clear-out has a new headline act, and this one cuts straight through the front line.

Como boss Cesc Fabregas has turned his attention to Chelsea striker Liam Delap, with the Italian club pushing to add the 23-year-old to their Champions League adventure, according to talkSPORT. The plan is clear: Fabregas wants more firepower, and Delap has been identified as a centrepiece.

Chelsea, though, are treating this as business, not sentiment.

Deemed surplus to requirements after a bruising first year at Stamford Bridge, Delap is available – at a price. The London club are demanding £40m, a fee that would bank them a £10m profit and ease the pressure of trimming a swollen first-team squad before the September deadline. With the board under scrutiny over numbers and balance sheets, sales like this matter.

The problem for Como is not just the fee. It’s the player.

Delap is understood to favour staying in the Premier League, even with the lure of Champions League nights on Lake Como. That stance gives English clubs a foothold in the chase, and one in particular has stepped forward.

Nottingham Forest have entered the race and are expected to move aggressively as the window winds down. Their need is obvious: Taiwo Awoniyi is poised to join Coventry City, leaving a sizeable gap up front and a demand for a young, athletic striker who can grow with the side. Delap fits that profile, and Forest know it.

His numbers at Chelsea hardly scream “marquee signing.” An injury-hit debut campaign restricted him to just one Premier League goal, his rhythm constantly broken by fitness setbacks. Yet his reputation hasn’t collapsed with those struggles.

Clubs still remember the version of Delap that lit up Ipswich Town, where he scored 12 times during their first season back in the top flight. That spell showcased a forward with movement, aggression and a knack for unsettling defences – the kind of upside that keeps recruitment teams interested even after a difficult year.

There is more riding on this move than club football.

Delap’s next step will shape his international future. He has represented England across various youth levels but is still waiting for a senior call from the Three Lions. Through his father, Rory Delap, he remains eligible for the Republic of Ireland, and regular top-level minutes over the next couple of seasons could force a decision on where his international allegiance will finally land.

All of this plays out against a backdrop of upheaval at Stamford Bridge.

Under new manager Xabi Alonso, Chelsea are pushing through a major overhaul of the squad. Almost no department is untouched. The reshuffle could also see Nicolas Jackson leave for Aston Villa, another sign that the attacking unit is being rebuilt rather than simply tweaked.

In that context, Delap’s exit feels less like a possibility and more like a matter of timing and destination. Chelsea are ready to deal. Como are hopeful. Forest are circling. The fee is set, the window is ticking, and a young striker’s career is about to hinge on one decisive call: Champions League nights in Italy, or another swing at the Premier League.