Liam Delap's Future at Everton: A Transfer Update

Liam Delap’s name just will not leave Everton alone.

For years it has hovered over Goodison Park, a recurring link that refuses to fade. David Moyes has never hidden his admiration for the striker, and Everton’s interest first sharpened when Ipswich were relegated two seasons ago. They wanted him then. They still want him now.

Delap’s future back in play

Now the situation has shifted again. With Xabi Alonso in charge at Chelsea, the door to a late exit appears to be creaking open.

Everton are about to enter another Premier League campaign with Thierno Barry and Beto as their primary centre-forward options. There were flashes from both. Moments that hinted at something more. But when the pressure rose and points were on the line, neither delivered with the regularity a club in Everton’s position demands.

So Delap’s name is back in bold.

Everywhere you look, the signs point the same way: he seems likely to be on the move before the window shuts. According to The Chronicle’s print edition, Como have cooled their interest, with the striker keen to remain in the Premier League rather than head abroad. That stance has jolted Everton back into action, placing them on what is being described as “red alert” as the deadline approaches.

The price problem

There is, though, a major obstacle. Chelsea want a hefty profit.

Figures of up to £40 million have been mentioned as the cost of a permanent deal. For a player with just one Premier League goal to his name, that is a huge number in the current market. It is difficult to see Everton, or even Newcastle, committing that kind of money for a striker who is still largely unproven at this level.

But the clock is ticking. As 1 September edges closer, the dynamics of the window will change. Demands soften. Options appear that were not there in July.

That is where Everton’s real opportunity may lie.

Loan route offers Everton hope

The suggestion is that a loan move could yet emerge as the most realistic path. A temporary switch, potentially with an option or even an obligation to buy, is understood to be on the table if Chelsea decide Delap must leave.

For Everton, that would be close to ideal. Barry and Beto both look likely to stay, with no concerted push to move either on despite outside interest. Adding Delap on a loan would give Sean Dyche another body, another profile to work with, without committing to a huge fee upfront.

There is a tactical question, though. All three strikers share similar traits. They are powerful, physical presences who thrive with their backs to goal rather than burning defenders with pace in behind. It would give Everton depth, but not necessarily variety.

Even so, with the Premier League season just three days away, Delap’s situation has become one of the late-window stories to track. Everton’s long-running pursuit has never truly gone away.

Now they wait to see if Chelsea blink.