Nottingham Forest in talks to sign £40m forward, they’re frontrunners

Nottingham Forest are in direct talks with the agents of Chelsea striker Liam Delap, as they look to tempt him into a move to the City Ground.

Chris Wood is set to turn 35 later this year, whereas Igor Jesus scored just six Premier League goals last season, so the Tricky Trees have been searching for a new striker, and they have identified three strikers currently playing for top tier sides as targets.

Football FanCast broke the news that Forest had submitted an initial enquiry regarding a deal for Delap on Sunday, with the former Ipswich Town striker valued at £40m by Chelsea.

The Blues are open to a sale before the September 1st deadline, considering the Englishman struggled during his debut campaign, scoring just three goals in 47 appearances across all competitions.

However, the striker managed to impress without getting on the scoresheet at times, with Micah Richards praising his performance in a 4-0 FA Cup rout against Hull City, in which he picked up two assists.

The pundit said: “I think Liam Delap’s game was brilliant. What I liked about it, is when Hull set up in this five, Delap was thinking if he could get into the space.”

Having also scored 12 goals in 37 Premier League outings for Ipswich Town, the centre-forward deserves another chance to prove himself in the top tier, and Forest are the frontrunners in the race for his signature, according to TEAMtalk.

Nottingham Forest in talks to sign Liam Delap

REUTERS/David Klein

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has offered a further update on Nottingham Forest’s pursuit of Delap, revealing they were set to make contact with Chelsea regarding a deal for the striker, following their 3-2 victory at Fulham on Monday night.

Romano also added that “direct talks” have been held with the former Ipswich man’s representatives, with negotiations currently ongoing.

Agreeing personal terms may not be too much of an issue, considering the 23-year-old is keen on signing for Oliver Glasner‘s side, as revealed by journalist Ben Jacobs.

Should Forest get a deal over the line, Delap would be competing for a place in Glasner’s starting XI with Jesus, who was unable to make much of an impact against Leeds United on the opening day of the season, recording just one shot on target.

Glasner’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat against the Whites, which underlined the need to make new additions before the September 1st deadline, having had a relatively quiet summer transfer window to date.